Where There's a Thief There's a Detective
by Lisa Telramor
Summary: In a different world, Saguru became a thief searching for Pandora. And Kaito can't resist the challenge of going after him. Kaito/Saguru
1. Chapter 1

_AN:In 2014 I save the prompt "It's always been Kaito Kid as the thief and Saguru Hakuba, the detective, sent to catch him. However, what if Kaito was the detective and Hakuba was the thief? This can be an AU or simply the two characters are finding themselves in reverse roles." from the DCMK Yaoi kinkmeme on LJ. I didn't write it then, but since there wasn't a kinkmeme this year I got nostalgic and pulled out old prompts to see if anything bit. This one did. And refused to be a nice, easy, porn fic like I had intended. (Because it never works that way.)_

 _I started writing and mental Saguru cleared his throat and went "You realize this requires backstory and progression to be logical, correct?"_

 _Kaito laughed in the distance. This fic exploded much longer than intended. Hope people find it fun._

o*O*o

There were whispers of thieves in the air. Things going missing overnight without warning, reappearing elsewhere seemingly without cause. Across Europe, and then into Asia, now into Japan. Kaito tapped the news article thoughtfully. This sounded right up his cousin's alley. More than that, really, since Kaito was aware of the thefts elsewhere in the world from some of Shinichi and Uncle Yusaku's passing comments. The primary target was gemstones above a certain carat, most often stones that had some sort of history attached to them. There was never any warning and never any sign of who had taken them; they simply vanished.

It brought to mind ghosts and trickster spirits. Perhaps a literal phantom thief? Kaito snorted. Shinichi would have a lot to say about that theory, but then Shinichi was always a bit of a skeptic with the supernatural. (Kaito on the other hand had a few up close and uncomfortable encounters with a witch and had formed an expanded, more liberal view on what was and was not in the realm of possibility.)

Or a very careful thief.

Kaito tapped the news article a few more times. …It really wasn't Kaito's business. _Shinichi_ was the one that enjoyed mysteries. Kaito was just a magician.

…

…

Yeah, no, he was curious. Kaito made a mental note to bug Aoko for whatever she knew. And maybe call up Uncle Yusaku. Or Kaa-san and Oyaji, wherever in America they were touring right now. Someone had to know something more about this thief. In the meantime…. He pulled out his phone, pulling up a web browser. In the meantime, Kaito had some research to do.

*o*o*

It was almost eight years to date since Saguru last set foot in Japan. He didn't hold many fond memories here. Between being somewhat ostracized for his mixed heritage as a child—his personality quirks aside—and witnessing his father's death, Saguru could only have more negative than positive associations with the country. Now, far from London and the life he'd left behind, Saguru found he didn't feel much of anything at the moment. Even the warm welcome from his grandfather hadn't drawn much from him.

But then, not much did lately. There was a peculiar sort of numbness that accompanied a surrender to extensive planning and exacting logic. When one aimed to destroy objects of power out from under the noses of shadowy organizations, there was not much room left for emotion or doubts.

There was the research, the plan, and the execution. Everything else was maintaining the proper facsimile of a high school student.

That was simple enough.

Saguru straightened his new school uniform and put a neutral smile on his face as he left his room so that his grandfather's driver could take him to his first day of Japanese high school. It was one more mask among many. He never stayed in one place long enough anymore for people to learn to see that it was fake let alone see through them.

*o*o*

The first gem stolen in Japan, taken in Kaito's own neighborhood. Aoko's dad was on the case apparently. Kaito snorted at his paper, ignoring the influx of students around him as they trickled into the classroom. Nakamori-keibu wasn't a bad detective but he didn't have the skills for this sort of level of thievery. The missing gem was a ruby said to be cursed since its previous three owners had met sticky ends. Cursed or not, it had been from a private collection, and Kaito had been expecting the first target to be from a museum or something a bit more high profile. It had been returned last night, found on the owner's bedside table with no other clues around it. If Kaito was doing that sort of thing he'd at least leave a note, though he supposed it left people guessing all the more without one.

Kaito was jolted from his thoughts by an elbow in the side. "Ow." He frowned up at Aoko, but she looked excited rather than annoyed with him for once.

"Bakaito, we're getting a new student!"

"Oh?" The last new student had been Koizumi Akako. And hadn't that been _fun_. "Guy student or girl student?"

"Dunno. Keiko-chan was saying that she thinks they're foreign though. Maybe they can help us with English?"

"They might not even speak English." Interesting. A potentially foreign student and a foreign thief all in the same week.

"Or they might, and we can have them help," Aoko insisted.

The door rattled as the teacher entered. Aoko slipped away to her desk and Kaito put his paper away. A beat behind their homeroom teacher a young man with light brown hair entered. Kaito could see Akako's creepy smile halfway across the room at having another potential male libido to manipulate. The transfer student was dressed like he was a dummy modeling the school uniform, every button in place, and the uniform tailored to fit perfectly. He looked distant and uninterested and Kaito disliked him instantly. Too much order had always brought up a desire to mess it up a bit in him. Like pulling the uniform a bit off center or messing up the guy's hair.

"I'm sure all of you already have heard that we've got a transfer student," their teacher said. "Hakuba Saguru will be joining us for the rest of the school year. Hakuba-kun is transferring here from London."

"Please look after me," Hakuba said in textbook-perfect Japanese. He didn't have an accent. He didn't look like he planned on making friends either. As he took the available seat toward the back of the room, he didn't even pretend to show curiosity for his surroundings or the other students. Hakuba was either a stone cold bastard with his emotions on lockdown, or he had a poker face that could rival Kaito's.

Their classmates whispered excitedly amongst themselves. Kaito turned back to the news. A thief was more interesting than a new student.

o*o

Trees were surprisingly comfortable places to do stakeouts. Of course, Kaito had to keep shifting every now and again or his butt would go numb, but as far as random places to sit and wait, he'd had worse places. The tree was up a hill and far enough away to be the perfect vantage point while still being close enough that Kaito wouldn't have to go searching for high tech observational equipment. It was the second night he'd staked out the museum because he was sure it was where the thief was going to strike next. The only problem was when. Why couldn't this thief have been a gentleman—or woman—and left a kind message informing when and where an item was going to be stolen at? That was what all the phantom thieves in stories did. But no, they had to be like a shadow only twice as fricking illusive.

To make matters worse, Shinichi had been shit about returning messages lately. Kaito had the phone to his ear again, glow covered by a case he'd made, his eyes still trained on the museum. He'd decided that the side was more likely where the thief would enter than the front or back where it was more closely watched.

"C'mon, pick up your phone…" Kaito murmured. There was a click and—yes, this time was Shinichi and not the voice message system. "Moshi moshi, Shinichi, about time you answered."

 _"I've been a little busy lately, Kaito,_ " Shinichi said back. Hmm, he sounded tired. And annoyed. Annoyed wasn't a new emotion when it came to Kaito though.

"So have I," Kaito said. "I just wanted your opinion on that thief again. I've been doing some research and I think it's pretty likely they're going to go for the Purple Eyed Man's eye next—not sure how since it's literally set into a giant bronze statue, but—"

 _"I haven't had time to look into this more,"_ Shinichi said. " _I'm kind of surprised you're still looking into it. You always complain about cases when you're with me."_

Kaito wrinkled his nose. "You almost exclusively deal with murders. Do you know how unsettling dead bodies are? Besides, those are serious life or death scenarios; this is more like an interesting puzzle where all the pieces are the same color, and maybe a chunk of them have gone missing. I mean, the thief gives the things they steal back. Who does that?"

 _"Your mystery thief, apparently,_ " Shinichi said drily. _"What did you want my opinion on?_ "

"Theories, potential next targets, how the thief's getting in and out unseen…anything really." A shadow moved near the door down below, but no, that was a cat. "Right now my working theory is that this thief is looking for a gem more than 20 mm in diameter, with a preference toward gemstones that are opaque or known to have unique light reactive properties. Now most of the gems they go for have some sort of legend or reputation attached to them, but not all of them, so I can't say for sure whether this person thinks they're looking for some kind of supernatural rock or not, but it's a higher percentage for than against."

 _"Supernatural rock…"_

Ah Shinichi, ever the skeptic. He hadn't believed Kaito about the whole spell thing, or the brainwashing thing Akako had going on, or the thing with the robot… Actually, Shinichi didn't believe a lot of his stories and probably humored Kaito more often than not. The jerk.

"Yeah, yeah, you don't believe in mumbo jumbo. I got that. I'm saying that maybe our thief does." Shift because his butt was falling asleep…shift again because that was a painfully placed twig. His legs unhooked from the lower branches and swung aimlessly, burning some of his restless energy. "They go after famous stones, but also have targeted private collections. In fact, based on some of the thefts in Europe, even some of the collectors that are private about what they have were targeted. They don't know how the thief would have even learned about the gems. A lot of them have been family heirlooms or things that have been set in jewelry for generations."

" _You're thinking this thief has connections to old wealth, aren't you?"_ Shinichi asked, voice sharp with interest.

Kaito grinned. This was why Shinichi was the best cousin (he was Kaito's only cousin but that wasn't really the point). "Yup. It would explain how they might have had a chance to case some of their targets." Of course it was kind of equally likely that this person could have set themself up as some sort of servant like position—the help were easily overlooked after all—but Kaito's gut feeling was that the thief had private wealth and connections. It took money to travel all over Europe and Asia, money to get the kind of tech necessary to overpower security systems, money that was not coming from what the thief stole from all appearances.

 _"That doesn't really narrow things down much_ ," Shinichi pointed out.

"Shush. I know that, don't rain on my parade. It's a start though."

 _"…I wonder if Sonoko might know them."_

Suzuki Sonoko, Ran's friend and daughter of some very wealthy people. Yeah, hmm. "Maybe. But it's more likely that her family has a gem that would become a target. I should look into that." Wow, things just kept piling up. This detective work required more research than any paper Kaito had ever had to write. It was a pretty interesting challenge though, he could see how Shinichi could get addicted to seeing the pieces line up. "For now I need to see if I can at least catch a glimpse of this person. They don't leave evidence, so I have to have something to go off of—height, age range, sex, nationality, something."

" _Well, you have some sound theories to work with. Although I'm sure you already have thought about the holes in your wealthy thief theory. I'm not sure what you need me for at all."_

"I think better with an audience," Kaito said, only half joking. "And you're the detective; maybe I missed something."

 _"You notice as much as I do,"_ Shinichi sighed. _"Anyway, I need to go soon._ "

"Already?" Kaito stilled, pouting to himself. "I've hardly heard from you at all lately. And we haven't met up face to face for months."

" _I've been busy_."

"With what?" There wasn't much that could challenge Shinichi for long in Kaito's experience. Unless Shinichi was involved in something a lot bigger than the usual murders of passion he tended to stumble across. "You're not in some kind of trouble are you? Because you know I'd drop this and help you with whatever case you're working on if you needed me to. This is just for fun."

There was silence for a half second that didn't inspire any kind of confidence in him that Shinichi was fine. " _I've got everything covered,"_ Shinichi said after a moment. _"You have fun figuring out your mystery thief. I might be hard to get ahold of for a while though. The case I'm on looks like it might be a long one and I'm not home much."_

Kaito let his attention slide away from the building for a moment to focus on the phone. "You sure you don't want my help? If it's that big…"

 _"It's fine. Besides, Dad's helping with this one."_

That…didn't really relieve any of his worries. Shinichi usually hated when his dad stepped into his cases because Yusaku had the effect of making everyone around him feel really stupid sometimes. It was annoying as heck and Shinichi wouldn't turn to Yusaku unless he had to or Yusaku had stepped in and taken the choice from him. Chalk this up as one more thing to look into. Kaito was due a call with his parents soon and last he knew the Kudos were still visiting wherever it was his parents were now. Vegas? Might still be Vegas.

"Well if you need me, I'll help. You know that I—" There was movement down near the museum and he found his attention focusing on the thin patch of moonlight near one of the museum windows. Kaito brought up the binoculars. A fuzzy, shadowy, humanoid shape was there. "We're going to finish this conversation another time," Kaito said. "I think my thief might have just shown up."

 _"Good luck,"_ Shinichi said and Kaito disconnected the call.

A deep giddy feeling bubbled in the pit of Kaito's stomach, but now was not the time to be smug about guessing right. He stared a few seconds longer just to be sure that the thief was getting into the building the way Kaito had theorized before sliding out of the tree with a few quick hops. By the time Kaito reached the museum—dodging the cameras; he couldn't be sure they were actually dead and _he_ didn't want to get arrested—the thief was already in the building. They'd left the security system disabled on the window though.

 _To break in or not to break in,_ Kaito thought. Shinichi would probably say something about detectives following the law when a life wasn't at stake. Then again, Shinichi could be a little shit when he wanted to, and Kaito was sure he'd broken laws in the sake of cases before. Really, Kaito was a lot more morally flexible in the matter. He slid through the window. After all if he caught the thief, no one was going to care that he'd trespassed to do so.

It felt a little like a game of laser tag to get to the right room. Don't let the night guard see you, stay out of visual lines for cameras, avoid any motion sensors, yadda yadda. This thief had to be pretty fit. If Kaito didn't have the habit of practicing gymnastics and theatrically modified parkour, he would have had a lot of trouble in places. Kaito turned into the room holding the statue and stopped.

The thief was barely visible despite being in the open at the moment. Whatever he was wearing, it was dark grey and slightly mottled to blend easily into the dim lighting. And it was a he if Kaito was getting the silhouette right. A bit above average height, stockier build than Kaito was expecting, and a mask—or was it a helmet?—covering the majority of his face and part of his head. Well, the height could easily be explained because he was a foreigner…

Kaito moved forward on silent feet, years of pranking and working as his dad's occasional helper backstage giving him a light step. As he got closer, he could see that the thief had already removed the stone from the statue somehow. The man cupped it in one gloved hand, observing how the moonlight reflected off it or something. Then he looked up, pinning Kaito in place eight meters away with a dispassionate stare.

He couldn't have heard Kaito, shouldn't have been able to see him with his back turned like it had been, but somehow he had known.

Breath caught in Kaito's throat as the thief walked towards him. Kaito's hand moved to where he had his card gun stashed. It would be useless in a full out physical confrontation, or against a real weapon. His heart sped up. He probably should have prepared better for, you know, _confronting the thief_ , but it was a bit too late for that. Well, when in doubt, bluff like hell.

*o*o*

The amethyst glimmered in the dim moonlight—Saguru didn't think it was the stone. There was no presence to it, nothing that would indicate a second internal stone. It shone clear and bright, but he would keep it to check properly all the same. Saguru rolled it on his palm before feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up—he was being watched.

Saguru took a breath and rolled the stone once more around his palm before he made any movement to look. He would not panic. He would not fear. Panic led to illogical decisions and actions, and illogical choices led to mistakes. Saguru could not afford mistakes.

He looked up, in control, confident, the way he needed to be perceived. _He_ was the one in control of this encounter, not his watcher.

Saguru was not expecting Kuroba Kaito from his class. He didn't let that trip him up though. Kuroba looked as at ease in the empty museum as Saguru did.

"You know, I expected someone taller to be the famous Shadow Thief," Kuroba said conversationally, hands in his hoodie pockets. Saguru had looked up his classmates after the first day of class. Kuroba was the son of Kuroba Toichi, world famous magician, and had a magician's skilled hands himself. There were any number of tricks that might be hidden on his person.

"I expected someone older," Saguru said in return, buying a bit of time. There were six escape routes in the room between the windows and the three doorways. "Playing the detective are we?" Kuroba grew up around detectives. Friend to Nakamori Aoko, daughter of Nakamori Ginzo, who was well known on the police force for working thefts. Close to the Kudo family, the same family that produced Kudo Shinichi, a famous teenage detective. Kuroba had been in news articles alongside Kudo. They claimed to be cousins, but so far as Saguru's search had found, there was no actual blood relation.

"Who's playing?" Kuroba said. "I successfully deduced your target and caught you in the act. I don't see other detectives getting this far." He smirked, slouched and infuriatingly casual. "And the police are already on their way."

Saguru held very still for half a breath—but if the police were coming, why had Kuroba confronted him alone? Why not wait for the police to surround Saguru and neutralize him _then_ gloat over his own cunning? Because, Saguru concluded, the police were most likely not coming. A bluff to, what, scare Saguru into something? He decided to change tracks.

"I've seen you in the papers. With Kudo Shinichi, yes? You hang onto a real detective's coattails and expect to become one yourself."

Kuroba almost bristled. Saguru could see the tense and release of his shoulders. "Please, I played an active role in solving those murders."

"I'm sure you did," Saguru said, making sure to sound like he didn't believe it at all. "And what would your supposed cousin think to know you confronted a criminal on your own?"

Kuroba raised an eyebrow. "He does it all the time."

"Ah, but you're not Kudo Shinichi." Saguru stalked closer, predatory steps that would put Kuroba on the defensive. "And Kudo Shinichi deals with murderous, dangerous human beings where the danger is plain to see."

He could see the moment when Kuroba thought he may have truly miscalculated, the twitch of an arm toward something—a weapon?—and a slight tightening of lips. Details, all things that Saguru had trained himself to notice. He'd out bluffed Kuroba and taken power over this confrontation.

"I don't need to be Kudo Shinichi to confront you," Kuroba said.

He wouldn't budge, wouldn't break, so Saguru went for the kill. "You know what, _detective_ , I don't believe you did call the police. No, you wouldn't would you?" He sized Kuroba up, piecing together the actions now with what he had compiled in class. "You're arrogant. Confident that you can pull off anything and too self-centered to call the police even though you have an in with them through Kudo." And Nakamori Aoko. "But you're not a detective or a magician or anything else yet; you're just a child standing in the shadows of the people around you hoping for attention."

Kuroba flinched, and perhaps it was cruel to stab at half-guessed weaknesses, but Saguru would take what advantages he could find.

Kuroba still didn't back down and Saguru was almost in arm's reach. "What are you looking for?" Kuroba demanded suddenly. "You're searching for something, a stone. Why?"

Saguru smiled. "If you want to be the detective so much, figure it out yourself." He had all of Kuroba's frustrated attention on him so… Saguru looked up and to the right, sharp, and Kuroba looked in that direction automatically. It was enough distraction to dash past him and off down the hall.

"Wait!" Kuroba called, loud, too loud; there were guards patrolling somewhere, not here yet for another few minutes, but they could hear. Kuroba followed, pounding after him and catching Saguru's sleeve.

It was ingrained instinct and muscle memory that sent Kuroba flying with a judo throw. From how he coughed on landing, the breath had been forced from his lungs. Saguru didn't look back.

*o*o*

Ow. Shit, ow ow ow. Breathing hurt, everything hurt, and Kaito really should have expected that. Mostly he was pissed because how dare that bastard stab him with words and throw him into a wall?! Kaito staggered to his feet, breaths coming uneven still—how had an alarm not gone off?—and took off after him at a slower pace.

He was going to arrest that fucker.

….Get him arrested. Close enough. It was faster going back through the maze of cameras and alarms than it had been getting to the room, but that was because he knew the way now. Kaito reached the window, just a bit out of breath still. He lifted a hand to open it and paused.

Now that was just petty! He'd reset the alarm!

Kaito swore vengeance as he pulled out his tool pack. Thank goodness Oyaji had pressed upon him that you didn't go anywhere without tools.

It was the work of a minute to disarm the alarm and return to the evening chill. By then, the thief was probably long gone though. Swearing under his breath, Kaito trudged back toward his earlier vantage point to collect his things.

*o*o*

Saguru, despite his first instinct to run and keep running, hid not far from his point of escape to observe how Kuroba would react to finding the window. He was reluctantly impressed at the speed and ease in which Kuroba disarmed and fixed the alarm before stomping past Saguru's hiding spot—all while maintaining care for the camera blind spots.

Kuroba could have been a skillful thief, but he seemed intent on playing out the hand of the law in this scenario. Clearly a morally skewed hand since Kuroba had broken and entered just as much that night as Saguru had, but still. In another life, perhaps their roles could have been reversed. Saguru could certainly remember wanting to be a detective as a young child.

Interesting. There was no time to appreciate a rival, though. A rival was only another word for a threat to his goal. All the same…it had been a while since doing this had felt challenging, and Saguru had always thrived off of challenge.

*o*o*

"I'm going to catch him and I am going to catch him without your help," Kaito said when Shinichi picked up the phone. Kaito was home now, in his bedroom, pacing with restless, irritated energy that had no outlet for the moment.

 _"I take it you saw the thief,"_ Shinichi said.

"I did. He's an asshole."

 _"Uh huh."_

Kaito pulled out his card gun and shot at the target in the corner of his room in rapid succession. He was pissed at himself for failing to use it earlier. "He mocked me, then judo flipped me into a freaking wall. If that wasn't bad enough, he took the time to reset the alarms with me still in there!"

Shinichi sighed. " _Kaito, you just admitted to breaking into a museum."_

"Well how else was I supposed to confront the guy?"

 _"By having the police surround him?"_ Shinichi suggested.

"He'd have been long gone by the time police got there. He works fast."

" _So, you're okay, right? Considering you were thrown into a wall?"_ There was real concern there at least.

Kaito tossed himself onto the bed. He was still sore, but he'd had worse training on his own. "I'm fine, just annoyed. I've had worse from Aoko." Kaito felt a little calmer talking to Shinichi though, and now that he had his venting out of the way… "Anyway…at least tonight was partially successful."

On the other end of the line, Shinichi muttered something that sounded like 'it better have been,' but Kaito pretended not to hear it. His cousin should totally be used to late night phone calls by this point. _"What did you learn?"_ Shinichi asked after Kaito patiently waited for him to stop complaining.

"The thief's a man," Kaito said, "around 175, 180 centimeters in height, stocky build, athletic." He ticked things off on his fingers. "Knows judo, looked up police and detectives in the area probably since he recognized me being in a newspaper photo with you. Good with tech, though that was obvious with how he gets in and out of places…" He trailed off as a thought occurred. "He knew I wasn't actually your cousin. He phrased something as 'your supposed cousin.' He shouldn't have known that. The papers call you my cousin." Heck, even Aoko thought that Shinichi was Kaito's biological cousin, and they _looked_ like cousins. They could have been brothers for how similar their faces were. It was the sort of thing that someone could only know if they'd dug into Kaito or Shinichi's lives, not some casual check to see who might be a danger. "Well. That's great. You must have really caught his attention."

 _"Just what I wanted, a stalker,"_ Shinichi said, though he sounded a little unnerved. _"I suppose you have his attention now though._ "

"Yeah." It wouldn't be too hard to learn more about Kaito either; it wasn't like his family was low profile. "Ugh. I'm going to have to do so much research to try and keep a step ahead of him. There's at least a dozen possible targets I can think of offhand and that's not even including ones I don't know about in people's private collections."

 _"How do you think your theory of wealth is holding up?"_

"Nothing to negate it yet. He could have been anywhere from twenty to forty or maybe older if he was in great shape… Spoke perfect Japanese. Should he speak perfect Japanese if he's only been in the country a little while?"

" _Polyglot?"_

"Maybe." There were so many questions whirling around in his head. Kaito twitched to just dive right into the research process.

A yawn from Shinichi's end brought back the reality that it was the middle of the night when most people would be sleeping. _"I need to go,_ " he said. " _Don't expect me to pick up the phone this late all the time."_

"Yeah, yeah." Kaito smiled. "Good luck with your case."

 _"Thanks. Oh,"_ Shinichi added before he hung up, " _Your parents say hello, through my parents. They were visiting."_

"Okay?" He had a skype call planned with his mom on Saturday. They had phones. There wasn't any reason to go and do a roundabout contact. And weren't Shinichi's parents supposed to be in Vegas too right now? Their parents were weird. "Talk to you later, Shinichi."

" _Goodnight, Kaito."_

Kaito hung up the phone and looked over at his laptop computer. …It wasn't quite three in the morning yet…. He turned on his computer.

o*o

Words blurred in and out of focus on the page in front of him. It took Kaito a minute to realize this was due to Aoko waving a hand between him and the paper and not just from his eyes as the last dozen times had been. "What?" Kaito asked.

"I _said_ , when was the last time you slept? Because you look like a zombie." Aoko poked his cheek.

Kaito swatted her away. "I slept last night." For an hour or so. He's underestimated just how hard it would be to track down a comprehensive overview of different possible targets. He'd been researching every spare moment since the first confrontation.

"Uh huh. And how many hours have you gotten in the last week?"

"…ten?"

"Bakaito!" Aoko snatched his paper up before Kaito's compromised reflexes could stop her. "That's it! No more reading, you're going to the nurse's office and sleeping."

Sleep sounded wonderful but… "I'll sleep tonight," Kaito said. He made a grab for his collection of notes and printouts. "Just let me finish up with these!"

"Nope!" Aoko held the papers well over her head. "You've been out of it in class and at home and I don't care what kind of trick you're planning, you're just going to mess something up if you don't sleep. Now!"

Kaito scowled at her. She scowled back. "If I nap the rest of lunch, will you give them back?"

"I'll give it back tomorrow once you've slept," Aoko said.

"…fine." Kaito would just have to steal his papers back before the end of the day. Until then…well, he did need a nap. As he crossed his arms on his desk, he could see Hakuba watching from across the room. So was Akako. The two of them could be creepy together then, he guessed. Aoko'd probably whack them if Akako tried anything in his sleep at least. Kaito blinked, and in the space between the next two blinks was asleep.

And he was pretty sure where the next target would be now…

*o*o*

It had been ridiculously simple to acquire today's heist. Saguru had been fortunate enough to attend a high society fundraising event with his grandfather and had scoped out ideal targets there. The Suzuki family, he noted, had a large percentage of gemstones that fit his target size. Even more than first appeared once he had done a bit of digging into their private collections. The event had been held at the Suzuki home, so the casing of the heist location had been taken care of as a tour of the home; there was nothing a wealthy socialite liked more than to show off their collections.

Somehow he hadn't accounted for Kuroba to show up too—a guest, it seemed, of the younger Suzuki daughter. The two interacted like old friendly acquaintances, if not actual friends. It was a bit hard to tell actually, between Suzuki Sonoko's outgoing personality and Kuroba's flirtatiousness, but they had a physical distance in their body language that hinted at not being quite as familiar with each other as they acted.

While Kuroba had been a surprise, he hadn't been an issue. It had been simple to stay out of his sight and he wasn't looking for Saguru anyway. Undoubtedly, he was looking for the Shadow Thief, as the media had recently taken to calling Saguru's alter ego, and no one expected a thief to be a teenager.

The growing frustration on Kuroba's face the longer the night went on had been rather amusing. And no thief had appeared to confront him of course. So Saguru ended the night with intel, the first of many potential gemstones from the Suzuki family collection, and the pleasure of one upping an incredibly nosey classmate. Saguru did like coming out on top.

*o*o*

Kaito knew, _knew_ without a doubt, that the next target had to be either a Suzuki piece or from the museum again. He had itemized lists of potential targets, had grilled Sonoko back and forth about what her family owned until they were on the outs (which was unfortunate, but they tended to either get along like a house on fire or get on each other's nerves depending on their mood), and had lost more sleep than he was willing to admit trying to catch the stupid Shadow Thief in the act a second time.

It was only because he'd asked Ran to be a go between that Sonoko had let him set up camp tonight. Technically it was her uncle's home, and technically it was her uncle who had beefed up security as some sort of challenge to the thief after one of his gem collection was found missing a few weeks ago, but it was Sonoko that had convinced her uncle that Kaito could be an asset rather than another person underfoot. At least Sonoko's uncle liked Kaito more than he liked Inspector Nakamori. Nakamori was left to prowl outside the building while Kaito got to go over security with a fine tooth comb.

He'd come up with ten ways he could steal a gem himself within the first hour.

Kaito was perched high up on one of the ceiling beams. It was the perfect vantage point and more comfortable than sitting in some cramped corner of Suzuki Jirokichi's modified display room. Modified because in a matter of days it had gone from casual displays to resembling a high security museum. Kaito eyed the pair of ladies' shoes under him with their large gems. It was gaudy as hell and the case around them made the moonlight refract more off the stones somehow than before they'd been sealed up. Why did he even have a pair of women's shoes in his collection?

On the whole, the new cases would be useless. There were wires that could be cut easily enough. The alarm systems were avoidable, the laser grids navigable, and the cameras might not have blind spots, but Kaito was willing to bet that the thief would take his time to either cut wires or somehow block them. Heck, all he really had to do was cut the power and all the fancy alarms and cameras would be useless.

As if on cue, the background hum that Kaito was so used to was gone. Below, the red blinking lights from various alarm systems were dark.

Kaito had totally called that one. The power outage wasn't through the whole building; out the window Kaito could still see the lights on in Jirokichi's study. A flipped switch on the circuit breaker? A purposely blown fuse?

He tensed as one of the doors opened a crack, just enough to let in a dark clothed figure.

Kaito grinned to himself and pushed the button he had on him that was meant to let the police know the thief was there. He had learned from their last encounter after all; no bluffs this time. The thief moved with confidence toward the case directly below Kaito. Like he knew exactly what he was looking for and where it would be even though the gem he'd taken before hadn't been part of the collection in this room. Interesting.

Kaito waited until the Shadow Thief was almost directly below him before he made his own entrance.

*o*o*

Everything was going to plan until it suddenly wasn't. The last thing Saguru expected was for Kuroba Kaito to all but _fall on top of him_. Saguru wasted a half second staring at where Kuroba had landed deceptively lightly in front of him—controlled fall with a pulley system?—before he looked at the target. The shoes were missing from their case.

"You know," Kuroba said, "you have to wonder what an old man is doing with a pair of fancy ladies' shoes in his personal collection." He had one of the shoes in his hands, tilted so that its central gem glinted in the moonlight. But not quite at the right angle for Saguru to see if it or its pair were the stone he was looking for.

He felt a burst of irritation, quickly smothered. His lips pressed flat before he let the tension go. "Perhaps," Saguru said, falling into his role of thief, "he enjoys the Purple Nail's history. Maria Theresa of the Holy Roman Empire was said to have coveted those gems at some point."

"Hmm." Kuroba compared the shoe to its mate. "Still. Feels a little weird. I have to admit, I thought you'd go for one of the more notable targets first. Kirin's Horn or Blue Wonder. I mean after the Green Emperor, a little surprised you went for the shoes." Saguru felt a growing urge to flee as Kuroba made no move to detain him or to get the heist target as far away as possible. Something was wrong.

He stalled. If he could get the shoes from Kuroba and leave… "After the Green Emperor, of course it was only natural to go after the stone associated with an empress."

Kuroba raised an eyebrow. "Okay, nice association I guess." He took a step back when Saguru stepped forward. "Ah, ah, no shoes for you."

"Says the man who stole them from their case," Saguru said. He stalked closer. Kuroba looked inclined to circle right. Saguru hedged him left. "You know, you'd make an impressive thief." Mess with him…

Kuroba snorted. "I know right?" Well, that route failed. "But," Kuroba said, bouncing a bit, "unlucky for you, I'd rather catch a thief than be one."

"Really. With your wonderful deductive abilities," Saguru drawled.

"I'm here aren't I? And you haven't got the Purple Nail yet."

Kuroba had an irritatingly large ego. Saguru's eyes narrowed behind his mask. He feinted left and lunged, bowling into Kuroba. They went down in a tangle of limbs. Saguru felt hands twitch along his mask, searching for its method of removal and was glad that it took a bit of effort to get it off. His hands went for Kuroba's clothing since his target had mysteriously disappeared halfway into his lunge.

"Hey!" Kuroba yelped. He scrabbled at Saguru's wrists and they rolled across the ground, trying to win out over the other.

This was so far from control of the moment, Saguru wanted to scream.

Saguru's fingers bumped one of the shoes for a split second before Kuroba twisted in a way that felt like it shouldn't be humanly possible. Saguru found his wrists pinned near his shoulders and a grinning Kuroba pressing his full weight down on him to keep him pinned.

"You're not the only one that knows a little bit of martial arts," Kuroba said. He looked like a cat that had cornered a mouse. "Now just sit tight. Should be any second now for the police to get here."

He wasn't bluffing this time. Saguru could see it in the set of his jaw and the confidence in every line of his being. Saguru had been in the room for five minutes and roughly forty seven seconds. It took less than eight minutes to reach this room from the ground floor if someone was moving quickly.

Kuroba laughed as Saguru went very still. "You thought I would make the same mistake I did last time? Heck no, Nakamori-keibu was on standby the whole time."

The shoes were in Kuroba's shirt, front, lower right, but no hand to grab them with. Saguru's hips were pinned preventing him from throwing Kuroba off that way. The only thing that wasn't was… Saguru forced himself to relax and smirked. Control. Control.

"...What are you…?" Kuroba muttered as Saguru failed to get angry or panicked like he undoubtedly expected.

Saguru leaned up, shoulders protesting the strain, and kissed him.

*o*o*

Kaito flopped into his desk face first, groaning. Last night continued to play behind his eyelids whether he wanted it to or not. Kissing. _Kissing._ The worst part of it all was that the distraction had worked and the bastard had gotten away. With only one shoe, yeah, but still.

"Aoko," Kaito mumbled into the laminated desk surface. "I'm no longer pure."

"What the heck, Kaito?" Aoko stared at him. "You're being weird even for you."

Kaito looked up at her, trying to look as pitiful as he felt. "I've been defiled. The only cure is a kiss from you."

Aoko turned bright red and smacked him over the head. "Bakaito!" His head whapped back onto his desk. "See if I worry about you again!" she growled, stomping off to be with other classmates.

Kaito lifted his head slowly. "Ouch." And now his nose was bleeding. Great. Well, it had been worth a shot. Wouldn't change the fact that it was Kaito's first kiss outside of a dare though.

A hand tipped his face up. "I'll give you a kiss, Kuroba-kun," Akako said, leaning over him seductively. Kaito could tell she was doing…something…but as usual it didn't affect him at all. He pushed her hand away.

"Yeah, no. I like my soul where it is."

"Romantic troubles?" a voice asked.

Kaito looked and realized it was the transfer student. The guy that never spoke with anyone and usually had his nose in a book or his phone or something. The guy—Hakuba right?—looked amused by Kaito's misery. Apparently it took someone having a bad day to get the guy interested. That kind of made Kaito dislike him more.

"Hell no," Kaito said. "Just an issue with some jerk."

Hakuba opened his mouth, no doubt to say something along the lines that it would take one to know one—Kaito had heard that sort of thing from people before—but their teacher called the class to order. As everyone filed back to their desks, Kaito couldn't help glancing at Hakuba again. He leaned away from Akako when she passed by him. Odd, since most men did the opposite, but Hakuba was weird all around. Seeing a bit of sense shown toward Akako did take the dislike for him down a little bit though. Just a little.

o*o

Kaito moped on his bed for almost half an hour after school before he reached a decision. He pulled out his phone, dialing without looking.

Shinichi picked up on the other end sounding frustrated. _"What?_ "

"Oh, good, you picked up. This is the third time I've called in the last twenty four hours."

 _"Do the words 'I'm on a case' and 'I don't know how often I'll be available' mean anything to you?"_ Shinichi grumbled.

"Yeah, but we're practically family. We're always available for each other." Kaito would totally drop anything he was doing if Shinichi called him. Not that Shinichi tended to call often. Actually, Shinichi was kind of horrible on communication so Kaito had taken it upon himself to initiate it as often as possible a long time ago. "Case giving you trouble?"

A sound somewhere between a snarl and a groan was his only answer.

"Are you even in Japan?"

 _"Yes, I'm in Japan. For the moment. What was so important that you had to call me rather than sending a text?"_

Kaito frowned. Why text when talking was simpler? He shook his head and flopped onto his back. "You missed it. Last night I had another run in with the bastard thief."

" _I take it this time went about as well as the last time."_

"Shush, no. I'm talking, you're listening." Kaito kicked his heels with remembered restless energy. "I was staking out Sonoko's uncle's place—with his permission of course—"

 _"Of course,_ " Shinichi muttered under his breath.

Kaito stuck his tongue out at his ceiling. "Anyway, I had the whole room layout clear, a good position to wait, a button to call Nakamori-keibu, even a pretty good idea which things were the most likely targets and the Shadow Thief came. Knocked out the power and stalled out the backup generator to kill the alarm systems. In comes the thief and I drop down on him."

 _"…were you on the ceiling? Wait, no, this is you, of course you were somewhere high up."_

" _I drop down on him,_ " Kaito repeated, "he goes for the target, we end up in a scuffle and I pin him." His free hand clenched in a fist. "But he…distracted me… and managed to get one of the gems and out the door less than a minute before Nakamori-keibu burst through the door."

 _"…distracted you how?_ " Shinichi asked, because he always noticed when Kaito skipped something.

"He kissed me," Kaito mumbled, scowling again. It was just as troubling as earlier, but now he kind of wanted to punch the thief.

" _What."_

"Exactly. Who does that?" Kaito sat up, hand waving in a sharp arc. "I mean I expected more an attempt at a knee to the groin, not a kiss." His eyes narrowed. "But you know what? If that's the way he's going to play it, I'll be prepared to call his bluff next time."

 _"Kaito. What?_ "

"Thinks he can kiss and run. I won't fall for those tactics again. Heck, I bet I could turn it on him and beat him at his own game. Let's see him get away if he's distracted."

 _"Kaito…Kaito, no, that is a stupid idea."_

"Shush." Kaito snapped his fingers, brain running through all the ways he could potentially catch the Shadow Thief off guard. He was pulling out Oyaji's disguise lessons for this one. Catch the thief's eye, lure him in, bam! Haha, joke would be on him! "Turning the tables would make revenge for the embarrassment perfect."

" _Do I have to point out how you don't know this person's age? Or face? Or anything?"_

"He's not old from what I can tell; voice is younger, no wrinkles, in really good shape too."

Shinichi sighed. " _…you know what? Okay. You go play gay chicken with a wanted criminal. It's your life."_

Kaito scoffed. Like Shinichi wasn't the type to meet someone head on. He'd challenge this thief and want to beat him at his own game too. Okay, maybe it wasn't really Shinichi's style to out sexually harass his opponent. But like hell if Kaito was going to let that pass without paying back in kind. "It is my life. And you know what my life needs? Some time with you in it. It's been months since we've hung out." It was weird actually. Usually they got a meal out or just spent an afternoon together at least once a month. If they got busy it wasn't too odd to go longer, but it was nearing the three month mark, and that wasn't normal at all.

 _"Multiple phone conversations a week isn't in your life?"_ Shinichi tried to joke before letting that fall flat with a sigh. " _Yeah, still too busy here."_

"And you don't want my help."

 _"I've told you, I have things covered. Besides,"_ Shinichi said, " _if this is how you approach a case I'm not sure I want you along._ "

"He used the tactic first, it's perfectly sound to use it against him," Kaito reasoned. He grinned. "Hey, you think I could pull off a woman well enough to seduce the guy into letting his guard down?"

 _"Because that's morally sound."_

"Morals are made to be bent, Shinichi," Kaito said with a shrug. "Or was I imagining that time when you used the lock picking I taught you to break into those buildings?"

" _There were lives at stake and you know it!"_ Shinichi sputtered.

Kaito snickered. The heaviness and tension he'd been carrying all day had all but melted away between his resolve and Shinichi's familiar banter. "Anyway, Shinichi, make time sometime soon. Even if it's just an hour. If you're in the area, I'll come to you and you can bounce your ideas off me and I can test new tricks like usual."

 _"Like I'll jump on the chance to be your guinea pig,"_ Shinichi said. It wasn't a yes. Kaito waited and got a sigh. " _Look, I don't know when I'll be in the area next. If I am, I'll let you know though, okay?"_

"You'd better."

Kaito made a mental note to bother Shinichi about it more later. He knew when Shinichi was being evasive and there was definitely something going on. If he could just get Shinichi to talk about his case… Well, there was always calling up Shinichi's parents…though that tended to be an experience every time Kaito did. Yukiko and Yusaku were fun but they were also as eccentric as Kaito's family and just as likely to think in circles around him. That always got frustrating fast.

 _"…Look, I have to go,_ " Shinichi said. _"Don't do anything too stupid, okay?"_

"Good night, Kaa-san."

Shinichi snorted and hung up on him. Rude. Kaito stared at his phone for a moment before tossing it away. So many questions, so little answers. But… He moved in on his closet, a smirk growing on his face. He had some revenge to think up. After all, the Shadow Thief had to come back for that second shoe now didn't he?

*o*o*

The Purple Nail—or at least the half of the pair Saguru had—was not Pandora. The chances of the second gem being what he wanted went from a rather low percentage to an even lower one. The Purple Nail could hold off for a while on his priority lists as much as it irked him to leave a job half finished. There were other targets to worry about for a while.

Saguru straightened his tie in the hall mirror until it was perfect. Behind him, his grandfather moved to set a hand on his shoulder.

"You look all grown up," his grandfather said, something like pride and grief on his face. "Soon you'll be the one inviting people to events instead of being someone's guest."

"I'm sure that is a ways away," Saguru demurred. "I am only in high school after all."

"You were only in elementary school and now look at you." His grandfather smiled. "Seeing you now reminds me of when your father was your age. You look a lot like him."

Everyone said he looked like his mother. Saguru didn't argue with the statement though.

"I'm sure he'd be proud to see the young man you're growing to be."

Saguru's throat felt tight. He didn't have any illusions that his father would actually approve of what Saguru was doing with his life. The son of an upper level police officer turned to a life of theft and near vigilantism. At the same time…

 _"Look how tall you're getting,"_ his father had said a long time ago in a situation much like this one. _"I'm going to blink and you'll outgrow me."_

Saguru placed his hand on his grandfather's. "Thank you." He would hope his father would approve of something about him. Saguru was doing this because of him after all.

"You're a good boy, Saguru. I'm glad to have you here."

Saguru smiled although it felt forced. The sincere warmth his grandfather had showed him since he arrived in Japan felt like a punishment. It was different deceiving someone who cared for you than it was to do the same with the rest of the world. The person his grandfather cared for was not the person Saguru was. "I'm glad to be here," he lied.

o*o

Upon arriving at the party, he was left with a group of people within his age range, presumably to make friends, though Saguru skeptically saw it as forging social ties for mutual future success. It involved more small talk and measuring up of each other's social standing for Saguru's comfort, and he said the minimum of niceties before ducking out.

In that group had been Suzuki Sonoko, though so far as Saguru could tell there was no sign of Kuroba this time. It left him relieved and vaguely disappointed at the same time for reasons he had no desire to examine. Instead, he drifted, sipping juice from a wine glass in lieu of actual wine. No one would have cared if he drank underage, but Saguru wouldn't risk dulling his senses just for a brief alcoholic buzz.

There were targets here, jewelry worn by the guests, and a few pieces displayed in the decor around the ballroom. No doubt the hosts were attempting to subtly show their superior wealth compared to some of the other guests. It was easy enough to snag a gem, check it under the pretense of getting fresh air, and return it to its owner with minimum effort throughout the night.

It was minutes after returning one of these gems that Saguru found himself pulled out onto a balcony by a red lace-gloved arm.

Clearly somewhere in his return to Japan, Saguru had miscalculated, because before him was Koizumi Akako. One classmate interfering with his thefts was an anomaly, having the daughter of the inspector put on his case in the class was unlucky, but having Koizumi Akako in his class was a whole different level of bad karma.

"We need to have a chat," she said, in that dangerously sweet tone of voice that held no doubt about his cooperation in said discussion.

Saguru eyed her and her elaborate burgundy dress uneasily. Of all their classmates, he had found the least about her. Her name didn't match her supposed mother's foreign surname, and there had been no record of a father. No patrilineal line to be seen from her mother either, or even any clear sign that the woman was in the same country as her daughter. Wealth with no clear income source and an unnerving amount of charisma had been more than enough to avoid her. Especially once he added in…whatever she did. Saguru found his eyes lingering on the way her hair glinted red in the moonlight and the dress's plunging neckline.

He tore his eyes away. "What are you doing here, Koizumi-san? I wasn't aware that you frequented this social circle."

"I know what you're doing," she said, ignoring his question.

"And what might that be?" Saguru asked like he didn't suddenly feel cold inside.

"If you plan on keeping your hobby a secret, you shouldn't practice it with your face on," Koizumi said, eyes dark, dangerous. She couldn't have seen him earlier; Saguru had been very _very_ careful about where and when he timed each theft and return that night.

"I'm not sure what you're implying," Saguru said, all masks firmly in place.

"Of course you aren't." Her eyes narrowed. Her hand snapped out and gripped his wrist hard. He couldn't look away from her eyes—they were reddish too, like the red wine guests were drinking, framed by long eye lashes. He wanted to tell her whatever she wanted to hear, anything to make that hard look soften, to get a smile. For her lips to—Saguru shut his eyes.

"Stop that," he said, edging away. Her tight grip on his wrist was unrelenting.

"I'm not doing anything," she said.

"I don't know what it is, but you are doing something. Stop, or this conversation is over now."

"Funny, you don't seem to be the sort to believe in powers."

"I believe there is a lot more out there than science can currently understand," Saguru said evasively. "Magic, powers, mythic beings; who am I to call them false?"

"Hmm." It was like a weight was suddenly lifted off of him that he hadn't realized had even been there. It left him feeling disoriented, and he staggered back a step. When he opened his eyes, Koizumi was watching his reaction. "Interesting. How did you even tell I was doing something?"

Saguru no longer found his eyes drawn to Koizumi's body or any compulsion to please her. He shuddered, much as he had the first time he'd come out from her effect. "Simply put, I have never been attracted to women and I highly doubt you would be the exception." He yanked his arm free, resisting the urge to rub away the feeling of her hand in his skin. There was nothing more alarming or unsettling than feeling something you should be incapable of feeling, knowing it was impossible on an intellectual level, yet feeling it anyway.

Koizumi's eyes narrowed further. "Interesting. And that brings us to what I wanted to talk about, coincidentally enough." She leaned forward. Saguru leaned back. "What kind of game are you playing with Kuroba?"

"Pardon?"

"Don't play dumb," she snapped. Koizumi's teeth glinted white for a second in a silent snarl. "I know you're the Shadow Thief." The chill in his stomach became ice. "What are you playing at with Kuroba?"

He digested that she knew (how? How could she? He had let nothing slip) and accepted it. Turned it around and the chill turned to anger just as swiftly. Who was Koizumi to call him out about this? And to call him out over _Kuroba_ of all the possible things to target? "There is no _game_ ," Saguru said, as close to losing control over his emotions as he ever had been in the last few years. "I am not _playing_ anything." He leaned back in, unease or not, because how dare she imply otherwise? "Every single move I make has been made in full seriousness. If anyone is playing, it is Kuroba, pretending to be a detective."

Saguru stared Koizumi down, meeting her challenge head on. "You had better not be playing with him," Koizumi said, "because he is mine. Break him, and you'll be facing worse than a seduction spell."

Saguru scoffed. He didn't doubt that she meant her threats, but the premise behind them was flawed. "You don't own people. Any mess Kuroba gets into, he will be bringing onto himself. I intend to look out for my own interests. No more. No less."

She didn't like his answer. Her lips went tight and the air tingled with something that made Saguru's hair stand up along his arms. "Let me make it clear that I'll be watching tonight."

Saguru blinked. "Kuroba is here?"

Koizumi smirked. "Yes. I'm not telling you where. You can find out for yourself."

She left him on the balcony. Saguru took a moment to replace his masks and reclaim his calm. One person knew. Koizumi didn't seem inclined to talk, but anything he did from here on out would have to acknowledge that she knew. Okay. Kuroba was somewhere at the party, but not immediately visible. Okay. There was a chance Kuroba had also seen him at the party, but that did not mean he would come to the same conclusion as Koizumi. Saguru could continue on with the rest of the night as a normal party goer, or he could finish what he started and slip away to get a glimpse of the host's prize star sapphire.

It wasn't really a question which he'd choose.

*o*o*

"You owe me," Sonoko said, playing with one of the many fiddly bits of the antique telescopes in their host's observatory. "Like, quadruple owe me by this point."

Kaito shrugged. "I intend to pay up all the favors. You know I'm good for them." He tapped one manicured fingernail against the sapphire necklace draped over the marble bust of a young woman. Andromeda, probably, considering the observatory's star theme. Star sapphire to go with constellations. Andromeda was supposed to be a lovely young woman, but Kaito thought he pulled off a young woman better than the bust did. "I'll even throw in doing makeup for your next date," he joked, sending Sonoko a teasing smile.

She wrinkled her nose. "And what's wrong with how I do my makeup?"

"Nothing, I could just do it better."

"Just because you had people flirting with you, you think you're prettier than me," Sonoko scoffed.

"Ooor, I could help you out with that guy you've got your eye on?" He batted makeup enhanced lashes in her direction.

"You…Did Ran tell you or?"

"Shinichi actually." Kaito left the sapphire alone. It was remarkably unguarded all things considered. The owner must believe the rest of his security was sufficient enough that no one could get this far. "Kind of surprised he mentioned it since he barely notices that kind of thing."

"You're telling me," Sonoko muttered. "How the heck does he have time to talk to you if he can't even talk to Ran lately? Where did he even hear about that?"

"Good question." And ah, yet another thing to get to the bottom of with Shinichi. "But about your guy—he likes you, right? I could stage something, see if he gets jealous, see if he makes steps to romance you off into the sunset to keep you away from handsome competition~" He grinned as Sonoko blushed.

"You're awful." She pouted. "And I hate that you look that good in my dress."

Kaito admired the bit of ankle peeking out from under his dress. He made a damn good woman. "It does flatter me, doesn't it?"

"And so humble." Sonoko snickered when he stuck out his tongue at her. "Ah well, yeah, help me with my boy troubles since I'm helping you with yours."

"Ouch." Somehow Sonoko was convinced that Kaito was trying to seduce the Shadow Thief. She wasn't _wrong_ , but her reasoning wasn't exactly right either.

"I'm bored," Sonoko said after another moment. "And thirsty. I think I'll head back to the party. Want to go with me?"

"Nah." Kaito had a good feeling about this gem. He wasn't ready to go quite yet. "Go flirt with all the boys for me since you're not technically taken yet."

"Of course," Sonoko said with a grin. "Gotta have fun now. Who knows, maybe one will catch my eye."

"Uh huh." Kaito shook his head as she left. He owed her soooo many favors, but it was worth it. And it wasn't like he really minded spending time with Sonoko most of the time, just lately it was more than he had ever spent with her without Ran and Shinichi around.

He wandered back over to the sapphire and used a handkerchief to pick it up. Kaito held it up like he'd seen the Shadow Thief do before. Artificial light glinted off it, but what he was supposed to be looking for, he couldn't tell. It was a black star sapphire, not the more common blue, and the star shape shot through in bright gold. Pretty, undeniably valuable as it was almost the length of his thumb, and smooth, but not any more remarkable beyond that. He set it back down, the necklace it was set it settling back into the hollow of the bust's throat. What was the thief looking for anyway? He'd taken an amethyst, two sapphires, a ruby, a beryl, and a garnet since he had arrived in Japan, and those were only the ones Kaito had found out about. He'd been so sure that the thief would try for this one too, but so far, nothing.

Kaito turned to the window, trying to look out at the grounds below only to freeze as he caught sight of a person reflected on the glass. The thief.

He was wearing a suit and tie like the other party goers, but the mask was the same Kaito had seen him in before. The thief didn't hesitate at all at finding the room already occupied, merely strode in with confidence and poise like he had expected to find someone there. In the back of his mind, Kaito added a tally in favor of the Shadow Thief being a member of the upper class. Kaito took a breath and settled into his role, widening his eyes in surprise.

The thief glanced at him, but his attention was on the bust and the star sapphire in its center. "Andromeda was supposed to be a beauty, but her parents' pride in her looks offended Poseidon. I wonder, what is a lovely woman doing here now?" Eyes slanted in Kaito's direction. "Fulfilling Andromeda's role or are you really the sea monster threat?"

Kaito settled his weight to one side, jutting a hip out, dress falling more pleasingly and showing a bit more leg at its slit. _Think Akako._ A woman who had been momentarily startled, but new what she wanted and was confident about it. "That depends," Kaito said. "Are you Perseus in this situation?" And wouldn't that be the irony, the thief casting himself in the hero's role. Kaito moved closer and the thief made no effort to run or to stop him.

The thief watched him as Kaito smoothed a hand against the smooth cloth of the suit jacket. "One must wonder what I would be saving you from if you are supposed to be Andromeda."

"Perhaps I'm both?" Kaito said, coyly looking at the thief from under his eye lashes. He wet his lips and felt a stab of victory when the thief's eyes were drawn to the motion. "Maybe you're saving me from myself?"

The Shadow Thief snorted. One gloved hand removed Kaito's hand from his chest. "Does that sort of line work ordinarily?" The other hand smoothed along the curve of Kaito's face before dropping away. "I'm here to carry off the true lady in the room," he said. "Andromeda's Eye will be leaving with me tonight."

"Say it like that, and you'll hurt my feelings," Kaito said. Rebuffed. And yet he hadn't imagined that glance, wasn't imagining the flicker of eyes at his exposed leg either.

"It's only the truth. You aren't a lady, after all." He stepped toward the necklace.

Kaito caught his wrist. "And what makes you say that?"

"I know it's you, Kuroba." The lips below the mask pursed. "You made an effort, but however you hoped to affect me, it is not going to happen. You make a convincing woman except that you can't hide everything—skillful makeup, yes, but a masculine neck and hips and shoulders under that padding. You were familiar with Suzuki Sonoko. And really, who else would be waiting with the most obvious target in the building? You hoped to surprise me, or better yet, seduce me." He scoffed. "A pretty face isn't enough to distract me from my task."

"But you do find it pretty," Kaito said. He clung to the role even as it started to fall apart.

Kaito was surprised to see actual anger flit across what bits of the thief's face were visible. The thief pulled away. "This is all some elaborate game to you, isn't it? The role of detective or the role of," he waved a hand at the dress and Kaito's apparently feminine personage, "seductress. But a detective doesn't chase criminals for fun or for a challenge. He chases them because he wants to learn the whole story of the crime and to bring the transgressor to justice. A real detective wouldn't treat this like a game. A real detective would seek out the why, the truth."

The words shouldn't cut; who the hell was a thief to tell Kaito what he was? But they did hit, and Kaito felt the same frustrating coil of self-doubt he'd felt that first time they'd crossed paths. His hands curled into fists.

The Shadow Thief picked up the necklace as if Kaito wasn't even a threat anymore. Like Kaito was nothing more than a slightly annoying piece of furniture in the middle of the room. He walked to the window and held it up to the moonlight. Kaito still couldn't see what he was looking for. Maybe the light wasn't clear enough, or there were more tests he needed to do, because he tucked the gem into his suit jacket without changing expression.

As he walked past Kaito, he leaned in close. "And for the record, if you want to use seduction as a distraction, make sure you aren't vulnerable to it being used back at you." He caught one of Kaito's hands and uncurled his fingers from their tight clench before kissing the palm. "Madame," he said sarcastically.

Kaito growled low in his throat and hooked his free hand into the thief's tie to yank him forward. The man smirked. "You should watch the same," Kaito hissed, face millimeters from the thief's. Pull his left hand free, lean in for the kiss to pickpocket… The thief's hand caught his before it could slip into the suit jacket. Kaito could feel his smirk in the kiss and it was infuriating.

"The secret," the thief said against his lips, "is to always be focused on the end goal." He pushed Kaito away, hard, and Kaito was left clutching a silk tie in an empty room.

*o*o*

"I think I'd like to go home," Saguru said to his grandfather. Andromeda's Eye sat heavy in his pocket, and he was beyond glad that he'd thought to put his spare tie on before entering the observatory.

Mingled irritation and exhaustion filled him and Saguru wanted to just check the damn gem properly and go to bed. Kuroba irritated him. The number of gems he'd checked and come up with nothing from in one night irritated him. The lingering tingle in his lips from Kuroba's angry kiss irritated him. The unnecessary complications that Kuroba's pursuit brought irritated him. And most of all he was getting tired of forever chasing and never finding what he was searching for.

He must have shown some of those emotions on his face because his grandfather disengaged from the conversation he was having and put a hand on Saguru's shoulder like he had done earlier that night. "Is everything alright?" his grandfather asked.

"I am merely tired," Saguru said. "The number of people is a bit more draining than normal."

"Let's give our respects to the host then," his grandfather said. He smiled, warm and caring, and Saguru felt more energy slip away with the burden on the lies he held up.

As they moved to leave, Saguru felt Koizumi's eyes on him. He didn't see Kuroba among the crowd at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaito sat high up on the roof of the Suzuki home, above the balcony of his guest room. The dress and other trappings of his disguise had long since been removed and the dress returned to Sonoko's closet. He hadn't been able to stop turning the Shadow Thief's words over in his mind. _A real detective would seek out the why._ It didn't sit well with him.

He'd always thought better in high places though, so he'd come out to the balcony, and when that hadn't been enough, he'd pulled himself up onto the roof with a blanket to sit and think. Things were clearer from above. The world felt further away and his mind always seemed to function better.

But the more Kaito thought, the more he wondered if he wasn't missing something. Maybe the thief was right. Maybe Kaito wasn't suited to be a detective at all. He'd started all of this just for the challenge after all. If the why for a thief mattered, surely the why for a detective did as well.

He watched stars shine and dew start to form on the shingles around him.

Kaito pulled out his phone. It was answered on the second ring, surprisingly. He hadn't actually expected it to be answered at all.

"…Shinichi," Kaito said, his voice unusually subdued. "You're a detective. How important do you think motive is in a crime?"

" _Kaito?"_ There was no trace of sleep in Shinichi's voice. Wherever he was, he hadn't been sleeping any more than Kaito had been.

"I just want your opinion."

Shinichi was quiet for a few moments. " _I mostly run into murderers,"_ Shinichi said finally. " _For me, it doesn't matter what was driving it, what emotions were behind it, a murder is still a murder. Someone died and you can't take that back. For other crimes? I don't know."_ He paused again and Kaito listened to his breathing as he waited. It was calm, even, as Shinichi took his question seriously. " _But your thief isn't like someone who stole a pen or took an apple because they were hungry and couldn't afford it. He's stealing highly expensive gemstones. He gives them back, but all of his thefts are premeditated crimes. Maybe a court might care about his motives. If they were good enough, he might shave years off his sentence, but no matter what his motives are, any court in the world would agree to convict him. A crime is a crime, especially a planned one."_ Kaito hummed, indicating he'd heard the answer. _"…does that answer your question?_ "

"I suppose." Kaito sighed. "Motive doesn't actually change what the illegal actions are, just how we might view them. And ultimately a detective solves the crime and reveals the truth."

 _"Yes. Usually that means finding the person that committed the crime and gaining evidence to prove it, but sometimes revealing the motive is part of that truth as well. But you don't need to know why someone did something to know that they were the one that did it."_

"You don't. But now I can't stop thinking about what if there is a good reason. Or, not 'good' but more understandable? Empathic?" Kaito made a frustrated sound deep in his throat. "You know what I mean."

" _Your thief again?"_

"Yeah." Kaito pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders and leaned his head on his knees.

 _"I guess the real question isn't if motive matters to detectives, but if it matters to you as a person. Do you still want to catch him?"_

 _"_ Of course I do," Kaito grumbled. "Motive or no motive, I want to catch him and at least find out who the hell is behind that stupid mask of his."

 _"Then catch him,_ " Shinichi said. _"If you feel like you need to know his motives, search them out or make him confess when you catch him, but do it because you want to, not because some thief is trying to get you to doubt yourself. Dummy."_

"Jerk," Kaito shot back. He relaxed though, feeling muscles he hadn't realized were tense unclench. "…operation seduction is still on then."

Shinichi sighed. " _Of course it is. I take it that it failed today?"_

"It worked enough to get him to use head games. I'm calling this one a tie." Kaito already knew how he'd go about it next time. Apparently the cross dressing itself didn't work in his favor, though the unexpectedness and show of skin had to a certain extent. He definitely hadn't made up the way the eyes lingered a few times on him. "What's on your mind keeping you up?" Kaito asked, turning the conversation away from his life.

 _"The case_ ," Shinichi said, and gave no further details as usual. Or maybe not as usual because he added, _"It's harder than I was expecting."_

"Let me help."

 _"You already are,"_ Shinichi said. _"Just keep calling from time to time."_

Kaito squashed down worry. "First you say don't call, now you say call? Wow, you sure are changeable."

 _"…I'm going to give sleeping another try,_ " Shinichi said drily.

"Night, Shinichi."

*o*o*

Saguru held Andromeda's Eye to the moonlight properly, but it was as dully reflective as it had been at the party. To be expected, and yet… He tossed the necklace on his bed and tamped down on a sigh. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose and just breathed for a moment until the desire to hit something or perhaps throw the necklace a lot harder passed. He'd lost one of his favorite ties that night as well. Kuroba was such a frustrating individual.

Still, it took some special brand of crazy to show up in a dress. If not for Koizumi and overhearing Suzuki Sonoko, Saguru might have been caught off guard. Saguru's lips twitched. Of course, Kuroba's tactic would have been less effective if Saguru hadn't realized there was a man under the makeup and satin. That had been…inconvenient. He shouldn't have allowed himself to get as distracted as he had been. Shouldn't have allowed Kuroba to pull him into a kiss at all. Shouldn't, but had, and that wasn't acceptable. Saguru couldn't afford to get played by a man that was chasing him for some foolish concept of a game. And he couldn't afford to let any emotion or hormonal responses deter him from his goal.

He'd let himself get angry too… That as one more mistake he couldn't afford. He would do better next time.

A soft buzzing sound tore him out of his thoughts and the glow of his cell phone caught his eye. There was only one person who would be calling at almost two in the morning.

He took his time picking it up, the phone feeling like a lead weight in his hands. "Mother," he said in English.

 _"Saguru._ " Saguru gripped the phone tighter at the chill in her voice. " _I know you're in Japan._ "

Of course she did. He hadn't thought she would be in the dark long, not since he was staying with an actual blood relative. "It seemed like the best time to return."

 _"Hmm. And where were you before? Russia? China?"_ Saguru said nothing. His mother sighed. _"I still don't approve."_

"I never expected you to."

 _"I know you're stealing funds."_ Another silence and another sigh. " _Your father would never approve."_

"He's dead, so I don't think his opinion much matters," Saguru said before he could stop himself. He regretted it. It was one more sharp word wedging the rift between them further. "Does this call have a purpose?"

" _Besides checking that you're still breathing?"_ his mother accused. " _Two years, Saguru."_

His shoulders hunched, knuckles gone white on the phone.

 _"Tonight marks the end of the first year. One more to finish this suicidal quest of yours or I_ will _be setting Interpol on you myself."_

"I am aware. You made your position quite clear." Abundantly so when he'd left. Two years so that if he failed, he could still be tried as a minor. Two years and he would turn himself in; that was the agreement. One he still wasn't sure if he would honor. Even if it meant he spent the rest of his life in prison, he had to finish what his father had started.

 _"You've been in the news. You're slipping."_ Let her try and steal heavily guarded gems. _"I hope you aren't taking advantage of your grandfather's kindness."_

Saguru didn't answer and she snorted, judgment cast on him.

 _"Well. You already did show that you don't care whose emotions you step on toward your end goal."_ Another sigh and Saguru listened to her breathe across continents. He could all but see the tired, stressed expression on her face wearing lines deeper into her skin. _"I'm sending your governess,"_ his mother said abruptly.

"What?"

 _"You're slipping and there is no one to watch your back. Your 'Baaya' has agreed to go to Japan and give you the support you need."_

"I am doing perfectly well on my own!" He hands felt clammy. There couldn't be anyone else involved. There was no room for close ties or people to share his blame. He could do this on his own. A year in, yes, but he had done it all on his own so far just fine.

 _"She will be reporting back to me of course,"_ his mother continued like she couldn't hear his protest. _"She is fully aware of the consequences of helping. She chose it anyway so you shouldn't waste such touching loyalty."_ Saguru couldn't tell if she admired Baaya for her choice or hated her for doing what her morals wouldn't let her do. _"I'm sending Watson with her."_

Saguru's breath caught in his throat. His hawk. She was sending _Baaya_ and his _hawk_ but she still couldn't say a nice word to him after a year of this.

 _"Don't waste them."_ The steel in her voice was nothing less than to be expected from the wife of a man who had once been a shoe in for police commissioner in a few years. No less than to be expected from a politician who fully expected his actions to lead to his death, or at the very least end her career.

 _Don't send them,_ Saguru wanted to say. He couldn't make his lips form the words.

 _"One more year, Saguru,_ " his mother said in that brisk voice that said an argument was done. The same voice she'd used when she hired Baaya, the same voice she used when he was enrolled in her choice of high school. The same voice she used when she told him he could not be a detective at age twelve and the one she had used when he said he was leaving after finding out the truth. He'd only disobeyed that voice once.

"One year," he repeated, voice hollow.

 _"Go to sleep,"_ his mother said. _"And don't bother changing your number again; I'll just ask your grandfather for it."_

The call disconnected without any endearments or parting statements. Saguru stared at the glowing digital numbers on his screen until it went dark, then, in a fit of unchecked emotion, he threw it toward the bed. It bounced and clattered to the floor. If the screen cracked, he didn't bother to check.

Saguru laughed to himself, on the edge of something dangerous inside him. He sunk into a crouch, the laughter dying in his throat. He almost wished he was back in that moment with Kuroba because lust was so much easier to handle than the writhing mess he systematically shoved back to the depths of his mind again. When it was gone, he took a deep breath and stood up. His hands were steady as he removed his suit and his mind was quiet. He didn't think about Watson or Baaya or Kuroba or his mother at all; he crossed tonight's heist off his mental list and pulled up the next in line. Saguru fell asleep planning his next theft and for a bit didn't think of anything at all.

*o*o*

The seduction, Kaito thought, was totally working. Three more encounters, far too many sleepless nights trying to find the damn thief before he struck, but each time they'd met they'd ended up in close quarters with at least one kiss in there. The funny thing was, Kaito only initiated one of those kisses. The Shadow Thief seemed to fall into the mood Kaito set easily despite his words that Kaito's tactics were stupid or that he only had the target on mind.

Well he was pressing Kaito back against a wall right now and the target was only three feet away, but the thief seemed intent enough on kissing him like it was something he needed. As the thief pulled back to take a deeper breath, Kaito remembered he should have sent the alarm to the police by now. He reached for it only to find it missing. Bastard. He'd finally figured that trick out so Kaito would have to come up with another.

"Back up not coming?" the Shadow Thief said against his lips.

"I'm sure they'll be along eventually." There was the failsafe of his phone, which Kaito used now, less reliable and instantaneous since it required someone actually checking their phone, but…

"Will they, now?" It was annoying that the thief's mask covered so much of his face. The edges kept pressing against Kaito's cheek when they kissed. He gripped the edge of it and ended up in another grapple with the thief over where his hands could or could not touch.

That was fine though. Kaito had tricks up his sleeve this time—literally—a sleep gas tablet he'd been experimenting with that he felt the formula was right. The capsule slid into his palm and he took a deep breath before leaning back in…only to have the thief move away entirely and leave Kaito almost to fall face first into the ground. The capsule slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground anyway, pale pink smoke pouring from it.

The Shadow Thief immediately distanced himself, one arm coming up to shield his mouth and nose. "How nice, a new trick," he said sarcastically. "Did you truly think that would catch me off guard?" He plucked the target off its display and Kaito lunged through the dispersing gas after him.

"I don't know, you seemed pretty distracted a few seconds ago," Kaito said once he was in clear air.

"I think you have things backwards on who is getting seduced," the smug bastard said with the stupid smirk that Kaito always wanted to smack off his face.

Kaito frowned, a retort on the tip of his tongue, when Nakamori burst onto the scene.

"There he is!" Nakamori roared. Officers stampeded into the room. The Shadow Thief took one look and bolted for the window. He was out it before Kaito could cross the room after him.

Kaito was only a few feet behind, but somehow the thief had made it to the ground by the time Kaito reached the window. Kaito watched the figure two stories below raise one first to the air and a bird of some sort land on it. The heist target went on its leg and it was airborne again. The thief looked back toward the window as Nakamori's men swarmed behind Kaito and bowed to them all before dashing off into the night.

Kaito grit his teeth.

Nakamori swore at Kaito's shoulder and ordered his men to follow. Half the police hoard thundered back out of the room. The other half started searching for any clues that might have been left behind. "Why the hell didn't you use the button?" Nakamori asked, staring at where the thief had vanished.

"He stole it," Kaito said. "I'll be ready next time."

"I still don't like you here," Nakamori grunted. He'd only thought Kaito could get in the way, but Kaito had argued his way into the task force with his skills and the fact that he had been the first person to confront the thief.

"It's working isn't it?" Kaito retorted. This was the second time the task force got there before the Shadow Thief escaped, and before Kaito, no one had even seen the thief.

Nakamori grunted again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you get in over your head, I'm not taking the blame."

"Yeah, yeah." Kaito rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine." He gave one last look out the window and left it behind. At least it wasn't too late tonight. He might actually get some decent rest.

"Kaito-kun," Nakamori called after him, "don't forget you're invited to dinner tomorrow."

Kaito waved, making no promises to come until he found out what Aoko had planned for dinner. He'd learned a few things tonight. One, that the thief was learning Kaito's tricks so he'd have to start coming up with some really good ones. Two, he was definitely distracted by kissing. Three, he had some sort of bird that was well trained. Too big to be a dove like Kaito's birds, but it had been too dark to say what bird species it was. Large, probably predatory at that size. Trained to carry things to a target site? If so, finding a way to follow the bird could be a plus… And four, the mask was solid in the front, stretchy in the back, so a strong enough yank would probably get it off…

By now he also had rudimentary height and weight guesses, age still seemed to be under thirty. Wealthy was a pretty definite yes after the party incident…unless he snuck in. Kaito had failed to get a guest list for that frustratingly. He'd seen the thief up close enough to guess that he had brown-to-blond hair color based on his eyelashes and he had golden hazel eye color. Probably good vision, no sign of contact lenses (Kaito had figured he should try to get SOME useful information if he was pressed that close), right hand dominant, and an experienced kisser.

He waved that particular bit of information away—was it really something that would be useful for investigation? No. Though the lack of discomfort the thief had in kissing a man might indicate sexual preference and Kaito wasn't sure if that was important or not. Or maybe the thief was messing with Kaito as much as Kaito was trying to mess with him and they were both trying to one up each other to see who would break first.

Well it wouldn't be Kaito. He'd make sure of that.

Kaito left the crime scene to Nakamori's men; he'd submit his statement later.

*o*o*

Saguru settled into Baaya's waiting car. She handed Watson over without a word, and Saguru stroked soft feathers. Watson fluffed her feathers and settled onto his fist. He gave her one of the treats he had stored in the glove compartment; she'd done her job well. They'd all done their job well, even if Baaya refused to talk about her part and Saguru could admit to taking advantage of Kuroba's 'distraction' technique.

The bit of tech he'd confiscated from Kuroba's clothing was in Saguru's pocket. He'd take it apart later and find some way to use what he found to mess with the police in the future. It was also, he reflected a bit guiltily, nice to sit while Baaya drove them home. It felt like cheating after so long of doing this alone. He could go soft or miscalculate like this…but it was…comforting. Saguru sighed and pulled off the mask.

Baaya spared him a glance. "Is it the right stone tonight?"

"I haven't had the chance to check." Saguru kept stroking Watson's feathers. "The police came again."

"Perhaps it's time to start moving to hit more than one city in Japan."

"Hmm." Baaya's suggestion wasn't wrong. Kuroba wouldn't be able to anticipate a heist in Osaka or Kyoto or anywhere else far away. He was working under the assumption that Saguru was systematically targeting Tokyo gems first. Even now, Kuroba was getting the targets right only a fraction of the time. If Saguru made his heists entirely unpredictable, then he wouldn't have to worry about potential police swarms or Kuroba's presence at all. It would be Saguru against the existing security as it had been everywhere else he had tried… But leaving Tokyo would mean leaving the shell life he had created already, and leaving Tokyo meant more constant research and temporarily scrapping what he'd already done for future heists. Leaving Tokyo would mean vanishing from his grandfather's life.

If Saguru was being completely honest, leaving Tokyo would mean leaving Kuroba too and…he wasn't supposed to enjoy any of this, but recent heists with Kuroba, even with their dangers, had been almost fun. It was a horrible thing to feel, especially as it wasn't a game or a challenge. It was a job that needed finished.

He could blame it on hormones, but he knew he could really blame it on the competitive side of his personality. Just sneaking in and out of buildings, besting the world's greatest security systems didn't feel challenging. And Saguru thrived on a challenge much as he hated to admit it. And he had accused Kuroba of only being interested in the challenge… Saguru bitterly acknowledged that accusation was at least in part hypocritical.

Street lights flashed by outside the window. Saguru's body felt heavy, weighted down by an impossible task and an impossible deadline. For those few moments exchanging wits with Kuroba he had felt sharp and light and alive.

"We can broaden the range outside of Tokyo a bit," Saguru conceded. But only a bit. It was selfish, but he wasn't ready to leave yet.

There was judgment in Baaya's silence, but she wouldn't tell him how to run his heists. If Saguru was caught, she would go down with him. His mother had probably sent her as help with this in mind. As if he needed more incentive to succeed. It was just one more weight of guilt out of many looming over him

Saguru closed his eyes against the lights. He wouldn't slip up. Whatever was happening with Kuroba wouldn't ruin his end goal. He wouldn't let it.

o*o

Kuroba in class wasn't much different than out of it. He drew attention to himself in bursts of color and sleight of hand, disrupting classes with a few pointed words and creating casual chaos just for the fun of it. His technique, for all that it was being used for childish pranks, was flawless. He pulled roses from nowhere, traded places in the crowd, conjured doves and confetti and chocolates to tease and flirt and bring smiles around him. Kuroba was someone who needed that attention and instant gratification that came with it, and Saguru wasn't sure if it was due to an extroverted personality or some deeper need striving from a perceived inferiority compared to the successes of the people closest to him. Father and mother—world famous magician duo, 'cousin'—a decorated teenage detective already, 'aunt and uncle'—famous author and actress. No wonder Kuroba dazzled Nakamori Aoko with his tricks; she was the most normal friend he had and even she didn't always react to his tricks with awe. Saguru was willing to bet everyone at the school was so used to Kuroba's tricks that they didn't even know how difficult they were. If Saguru had the amount of skill Kuroba had, he would have had far less trouble with his debut as a thief a year ago. Instead, he had the bare minimum of skill hard won through effort and luck to get himself this far.

Saguru guessed that Kuroba had targeted the Shadow Thief to prove himself. So much time spent with a teenage detective and of course some of that would rub off. Kuroba didn't have the mind of a detective though. Ironically, by how frequently he predicted Saguru's next theft, he thought much more like a thief… Not that Kuroba would appreciate such insinuations.

Saguru watched as Kuroba made Aoko blush, and turned Koizumi's advances aside all in one go. Kuroba was straight, or perhaps mostly straight. Whatever Saguru's encounters with him as a thief, they didn't appear to carry over into any of his daily interactions with his male classmates.

It was something that Saguru kept reminding himself of, as Kuroba charmed candy out of one girl, or smiled at another.

Pinning Kuroba's motivations down, the Kuroba behind the smiles and the charm and the banter, was a way to pass the time.

He was very superficial. Self-centered. Narcissistic. Ego driven. And yet his smiles felt genuine whenever he got someone to laugh or smile with him. He cheered Aoko up when she felt sad over her father's work schedule. He was well liked among the whole class despite the constant disruptions and his popularity with the female half of the student body.

"You're always watching," Aoko said to him once during lunch. "You can join us if you'd like."

Saguru smiled the polite, distant smile that seemed to be the only smile he used as himself these days. "Thank you, Nakamori-chan, but I'm fine. I prefer to eat alone."

Perhaps that had been true once; Saguru never sought out to be a part of a group or to make friends just because. After a year of eating alone though, he had to wonder if it was true anymore.

"Okay," Aoko said, a bit put out by his response. "Well the offer's there if you want to ever join."

It wasn't a very nice look Kuroba sent in Saguru's direction. Territorial and overprotective when he didn't need to be. Saguru let his eyes slide away from the classroom and its occupants. This wouldn't be much longer anyway.

*o*o*

Shinichi wasn't picking up his calls. Kaa-san and Oyaji both had busy lines too. Wherever the Kudos were, their phones didn't have service at the moment—turned off maybe? This, Kaito reflected, was one of the annoying things about having most of the people you cared about living who knew where at any given point in time. He tried Sonoko next because maybe she would know something. He'd try Ran but, well, as things went he was actually closer to Sonoko than Ran at the moment, probably because he'd flirted with Ran one too many times to be in her good books. (He'd be out of Shinichi's if Shinichi didn't know him well enough to know that it didn't mean anything. Kaito was better these days. He barely flirted with Shinichi's friend group at all. Sonoko at least had fun and played along when she felt like it.)

"Yo, Sonoko-chan!" Kaito said as she picked up.

 _"Oh, it's you."_ Ouch. _"Are you calling for another favor? Because you still haven't paid me back for all the other times."_

"No, no!" Maybe he'd been calling Sonoko a bit too much lately. "Just wondering if you knew anything about Shinichi. He's barely been picking up the phone lately."

" _Ugh, don't speak to me about that jerk."_ Eh? _"He keeps running off and making Ran cry, so you can find someone else to talk to about him. He hasn't even returned her calls lately."_

"Wait wait wait wait!" Kaito said before she could hang up. "He hasn't been talking to Ran-chan?"

 _"No! I'm really mad at him!"_

"But he's in love with Ran," Kaito blurted.

 _"What?"_

"Shit." He wasn't supposed to talk about that. Even if anyone with eyes could figure that out for themselves. "Uh. Pretend I didn't say that."

 _"No, no, so the detective dork really does like Ran back? So what the hell? Why aren't they dating yet?"_

"Ugh, I have no idea. Actually, no, Shinichi's emotionally challenged sometimes. And really blind. He wouldn't make a move unless he knew she would accept…and he's totally inept at telling when someone likes him."

Sonoko snorted. " _He really is. But I guess Ran isn't much better because they're still in limbo… Not that I want them to get together right now! Because Shinichi's a jerk!"_

"Yeah, this really makes no sense…" Shinichi on a case. Shinichi refusing help. Shinichi refusing to meet up for months. Shinichi apparently not talking to Ran much for months. "I haven't seen him in months. He said he was on a case—"

 _"For months? This is Shinichi we're talking about."_

"Well yeah…" But what else would it be? "You know, I should probably go sniff around Beika sometime soon."

 _"Good luck. He's not going to be there."_

"Yeah, but I might find something out." Kaito sighed. "…Well, guess I'm not going to be able to talk to Shinichi anytime soon."

" _You're better off,"_ Sonoko said.

Kaito laughed at her dismissal. Ran was lucky to have Sonoko as a friend. "…I don't suppose you'd like to hear about my latest progress with the thief?"

 _"Hell no. You talked my ear off the last time you asked favors._ " Heh. He'd thought as much. " _But speaking of being blind, how's your relationship with Aoko going?"_

"Aaaand, that's my cue to exit. Have a lovely evening Lady Sonoko, and may it be free of irritating detectives for your pleasure."

 _"Coward."_

Kaito laughed and cut the connection before she could try to get him into a heart to heart. Or worse, a rant about how he made her spill her love life, but the moment she looked at him, oh no! Besides he…wasn't really sure where things stood with Aoko lately. He liked her. Liked her a lot even. But. Yeah, he wasn't going to think too hard about that line of thought. Not when he could worry about Shinichi and think about where to stake out next instead.

o*o

For a train carrying a foreign monarch, Kaito would have expected better security. Or at least more of it. Instead, outside of the queen's railcar, it was surprisingly quiet. Actually, the railcar directly behind hers was empty entirely and the passenger cars further back were not nearly as full as he would expect on a typical day of travel. Kaito's footsteps were lost among the faint sound of the train in motion. He'd managed to get onboard thanks to Nakamori—a queen in the area for a short period of time while in possession of a rare gemstone; there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the Shadow Thief would show up.

Aoko had come along though, and that had put a wrench in the works. It meant Kaito had to socialize longer than intended and keep track of her as well as all the other people around 'd met the queen and her son and seen the gem—or what was really a high quality replica of the Crystal Mother—but Kaito couldn't see where the real gem was, or how the thief could target it here. The queen had her bodyguards in the cabin with her and there was nowhere to go on a moving vehicle. Finding no way in the queen's cabin and no leads, Kaito had slipped away after dinner to look around.

Kaito tapped on the paneling. It was artfully done, but there was a large chance something could be hidden under them. But they had only a hollow sound.

If it was Kaito, how would he do it? Well, if it was Kaito, he could get himself invited along like he did this time, or maybe use his disguise skills to impersonate a bodyguard or the prince's nanny. He'd just make it _look_ like he was escaping and return to being himself. But the Shadow Thief didn't operate that way. Would he stage a blackout on the train somehow? Stop the train?

He sighed, opening the door to the next compartment. Something small barreled into his ankles.

"Caesar!" a child whispered loudly—Prince Phillip.

Kaito grabbed the small cat trying to wiggle past his legs, getting bit for his trouble. "Ow, you little monster," he muttered—doves were so much better than cats. The cat hissed in his face. "Your cat," Kaito began to say to Phillip. He froze, cat dangling in one hand, door in the other. Crouched next to Phillip was the Shadow Thief.

"Caesar!" Phillip said again, crossing the space to crash into Kaito's knees. His hands lifted toward his cat and Kaito put the bitey creature into them, eyes on the thief. "Thank you," Phillip said.

"You're not supposed to be here," the thief said.

" _I'm_ not supposed to be here?" Kaito said.

The thief had the audacity to roll his eyes. He shuffled forward, still in a crouch, and yanked Kaito into the room. Phillip cradled his cat to his chest as he returned to the thief's side. What the hell?

"Now would be a lovely time to set aside our differences," the thief muttered.

"What's going on? Why is Phillip here and not with his nanny?" Kaito hissed, adjusting his volume to match the thief's on automatic.

"There's been a complication," the thief said.

"Complication how?!"

"Alice isn't Alice," Phillip said, holding Caesar tight.

"I'm not the only one after the stone," the thief said. What Kaito could see of his face was grim, lips set in a frown. "They don't have the same moral principles I hold myself to."

For a second Kaito wanted to ask what morals those were, but he could guess. After all, besides that first time being judo thrown into a wall, the thief had been careful not to hurt him even when Kaito had his back against a wall with the police on the way. "How do I know that this isn't you trying to get the kid to use as leverage to get the gem?" Kaito asked because he couldn't take this at face value.

A frustrated sigh passed though the thief's clenched teeth. "I make no claim of being a good person, but I wouldn't harm a child. I intended to cut the power to the car and take the gem in the chaos, but Phillip's safety is of more immediate importance." He stared Kaito down. "You will have to trust me just this once."

Kaito looked away first, down at Phillip who looked even unhappier than he had earlier.

"What happened to Alice?" Kaito asked him.

"Alice went into another room and when she came back Caesar hissed at her. Caesar likes Alice," the boy whispered.

"The boy's caretaker was in the restroom unconscious. It was chance that I came across her… I found the person who took her place with Phillip." The thief smiled thinly. "I do hope that you don't mind that I took a page out of your book." He held up one of Kaito's own sleep gas capsules. Kaito'd thought that they fell out of his pocket during the last heist. "I knocked them out and left them tied up, but there's a good chance that they have an accomplice, and that they could escape."

"Alice was a man," Phillip said. This still didn't explain why he was more comfortable with the thief than standing close to Kaito, but Kaito supposed having someone save you from a person wearing your nanny's face would go a pretty good distance in gaining trust.

"Wouldn't it be best to get Phillip back to his mother and her bodyguards if there's danger?" Kaito asked.

"Yes, let me just stroll up with a small child," the thief said in a scathing voice. "And may I take your gemstone in exchange? I'm sure that would go over lovely."

"Then I'll take him back," Kaito spat back.

"And if someone is impersonating someone else?"

Dammit. Kaito scowled.

"You are right that he would probably be safer there though than in the open…I'm just not sure that—" The thief's eyes went wide, staring over Kaito's shoulder and he grabbed Kaito's wrist in one hand and Phillip's in the other. "Move!" he hissed, dragging them toward what little cover this car had with its rows of seats.

The compartment door clicked open. Through the gaps beneath the seats, Kaito made out a pair of dark shoes and a long black coat. His footsteps were heavy as he moved far enough in to close the door. There was a soft beeping sound, then the man spoke. "Everything is in place. No sign of the thief yet, but he won't get far. He's been a pain in the ass to track, but he'll definitely show up here tonight. All signs point to him staying in Japan for a while." Silence, then, "Alive? Or is an example needed?" Kaito shivered, fist clenching against his will at the short laugh that followed. "Perfect. I'll pass that along." Another beep followed by the rapid clicking of a text message being sent. Somewhere, the fake nanny would be getting a text message, Kaito assumed.

For a heart stopping moment, the shoes moved a few steps further into the cabin, but their owner must have changed his mind as after a few seconds he turned and left the way he came.

Kaito let out a shaky breath.

Behind him, Phillip was shivering and had one hand over his mouth to hold back any sound he might have made. It was a miracle the cat had remained silent. The Shadow Thief's eyes blazed with restrained emotion. His hands were steady as he let Phillip go.

"Take Phillip somewhere safe," he said.

"And let you go get killed?" Kaito asked. "Fat chance."

"I'm not going to play target," the thief said, "but clearly it isn't safe for—"

"It's not safe for anyone on this train. And if they're going for the gemstone too, who's saying they won't just attack everyone in the room to get to it?" Aoko was in that room. And her dad, and Phillip's mother. Nakamori's job came with danger but if Aoko got hurt because of Kaito maneuvering his way onto the train, he was never going to forgive himself.

"Kuroba." Kaito jumped as a gloved hand touched his face. It was grounding and a lot more familiar than he was comfortable reflecting on. "We'll be fine. You have the tools to protect yourself and I have been doing this for a while now. This isn't the first time I've run into these people, and I won't let it be the last."

Kaito was doing a shit job of keeping a hold on his emotions. He glanced at Phillip's scared face. Phillip, at least, needed someone confident and in control right now. Kaito could do that, be someone other than Kaito-in-over-his-head for a little bit. He was a detective and a magician, and he could outthink and out trick anyone on this train. Kaito pulled on his Poker Face. Then he dragged the thief forward by the collar of his shirt. "You'd better not let it be the end because I still have to catch you."

The Shadow Thief blinked at him, then rolled his eyes. "Of course. I could hardly let anyone else catch me."

The bastard had better not let anyone else catch him. Kaito felt an ember of territorial rage kindle in him at the thought of anyone hurting the thief. It wasn't _supposed_ to be personal, but it had become so somewhere along the way.

Kaito scooped Phillip up, cat and all. Phillip squeaked and grabbed onto Kaito's shoulder. Caesar mewed irritably. Kaito grinned down at both of them, conjuring one of the flowers he kept for Aoko to his hand. Phillip took it, not smiling, but looking a little less scared than a moment ago. "We'll keep safe, right kiddo?"

Phillip nodded slowly. Kaito almost dropped him a second later as he twisted in the Shadow Thief's direction. "Oh! The stone's in the ice!" he said, "so don't let anything happen to my mom!"

The thief smiled. "I won't," he promised. "Thank you for the hint." He went out one end of the car toward where the mystery man in black went, Kaito took Phillip the other direction, away from the threat and his mother. The whole situation was a mess…

And of course the gem was in the ice. Kaito felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner.

So of course a car and a half later the cat had to squirm free and Phillip go after it. Kaito got a child shoe to the gut trying to keep a hold on him, but children must be made of jelly the way he wormed free. Some power out there must not be very happy with Kaito today; normally he had good luck, but the doors between compartments hadn't latched and the cat was back in the other direction.

"Shit shit shit…." Kaito jogged after them. "Kid, we can't go back that way." The cabin plunged into darkness. How much of the train had the Shadow Thief affected?! Or was in even him? "Phillip?" There was a click of a door somewhere ahead, and Kaito realized that the cat escaping probably wasn't an accident after all.

"Oh hell no."

A hissing cat swarmed up Kaito's leg as he stepped forward. Kaito staggered with needle claws digging into the flesh of his thigh. He blinked as the lights came back on. The compartment door was open ahead of him and Phillip was nowhere to be seen. He dislodged Caesar from his leg and charged after Phillip. He had to be heading back for his mother.

Kaito burst through doors that were all left ajar. Children were a lot quicker than he remembered, but then Kaito supposed he'd been pretty fast at Phillip's age. He reached the queen's car and found it a disarray of shattered glass and scattered ice with an angry Nakamori on one side, a stressed queen with bodyguards on the other and Aoko looking scared off in the corner. There was no sign of Phillip. It almost looked like something had exploded in here. Kaito shoved Caesar at Aoko and turned back around, ignoring the questions shouted after him.

If he had just stolen a gemstone, where would he go? Where was someplace no one would be around for collateral damage? _Up_ , Kaito's instinct said. He headed for an access point to the train roof.

It was open.

Kaito really hoped Phillip wouldn't be reckless enough to go up there. He didn't really hold much hope there though.

When Kaito stuck his head out through, the thief had the Crystal Mother in one hand and the other raised in apparent surrender. Phillip was a few feet away from Kaito, a gun pointing at him by what had to be the man from earlier.

"There's nowhere to go this time," the man said. "Set the jewel down and turn around."

The thief did slowly. Kaito didn't know if he'd seen Kaito or not.

"Good," the man said. He shifted the gun away from Phillip and onto the Shadow Thief's back. "I don't know who you are, but you were warned once. Only an idiot keeps after the organization's targets."

Kaito looked between the gun, Phillip, the thief, then around the area for ideas. His eyes widened as he realized a tunnel was coming….but did the thief know? Kaito could only hope he did because there was no way Kaito was going to be able to reach both him and Phillip.

"You're not going to be a problem any longer," the man in black said. Kaito took a breath and let a smoke bomb go. It streamed along blinding both the thief and the man with the gun, but it was enough. Kaito grabbed Phillip's ankle and pulled him flat. Kaito heard the gun go off and a thump of something hitting the roof of the train before everything was the howling mass of echoes and sucking wind of the tunnel. Kaito clung to Phillip and the roof of the train, eyes scrunched shut until the roar became the rush of open air again.

He went limp with relief as he saw the thief clinging to the train roof and the man with the gun nowhere in sight. Phillip was crying and Kaito pulled himself together to pull Phillip close. "Hey, we're okay," he said. A few feet away, the thief sat up. Miracle of miracles, the Crystal Mother was in one hand. "In one piece?" Kaito asked.

"More or less."

The thief winced as he stood up and Kaito spotted a rip in his sleeve—grazed by the shot, then. Better than the alternative. They looked at each other, not quite sure what to do without the usual dynamic. There was nowhere for the thief to run off to and Kaito didn't really feel like trying to catch him so soon after nearly watching him die.

Phillip solved the problem by squirming out of Kaito's arms, wiping his tears, and holding out a hand. "You gotta give it back. It's important. It's important to my mom and my country."

The Shadow Thief looked at him, then held the gem up to the moonlight the way he did for everything he stole.

"Mom will be sad if it disappears," Phillip continued, a stubborn expression on his face.

"I suppose I can't have that happen," the thief said finally. He crouched down and put the gem in Phillip's hands. He was looking at Kaito though when he said, "I owe you one."

Kaito's stomach felt weird at that sincerity. Besides, had the thief really thought he'd just…what? Watch him get shot? He licked his lips and put on his usual smile. "I'll have to cash that in sometime. Maybe an explanation for who those people were?"

"Sometime," the thief said.

"…Let's get off the train roof," Kaito said. "And I should probably warn Nakamori-keibu about the other guy you found."

"You know, you had one job," the thief said as Kaito helped Phillip down the ladder.

"You try holding onto a small child determined to get away."

"Hmm." Kaito looked up to ask if the thief needed any help and found him a lot closer than a minute ago. "Thank you."

The kiss wasn't unexpected, but it was confusing. The context was all wrong. It was far too gentle compared to their usual.

Kaito stared. The thief smiled wryly. "Sorry."

"What?" Kaito got a face-full of the aerosol knock out gas he'd introduced at the last heist. His last thought was to wonder when he'd had his pockets picked this time.

o*o

Kaito woke up in the queen's car with Caesar sitting on his lap. His head spun a bit as he sat up—still had to work on that formula a bit. The glass had been cleaned up. Something had changed over however long he'd been out since Queen Selizabeth was hugging Phillip close when she had all but ignored him earlier. Behind them was Alice.

Kaito snapped awake with a jolt of adrenaline. "The impostor!" he said.

"Kaito!" Aoko half choked him with a hug. "You idiot, you had us worried!"

"Ow, Aoko!"

"Kuroba-kun," Nakamori said from behind Aoko. "You did a good job keeping the Crystal Mother away from that thief."

What the heck had Phillip told them? Never mind, not the most important thing this second. "There was someone impersonating Alice; did anyone find them?"

Nakamori scowled, "Whoever it was, they got away. My men are searching the train for the thief and whoever the other people were, but we haven't had any luck yet. We've tested everyone in this room for their identity, so you don't have to worry about any impostors here."

Kaito nodded slowly. This was the first time he'd run into someone who could disguise the way Kaito or his family could. How common was that sort of skillset? Maybe Oyaji would know where someone could have learned it; there had to be some sort of community for that. Not just stage makeup either. Kaito shook his head. "Is everyone okay?"

"A few cuts and bruises, but other than that, fine," Nakamori said. "The damn thief burst in during the blackout and burst the glasses on the table. The Crystal Mother was hidden in the ice."

"I figured when I saw the glad."

"You did a good job protecting Phillip," Nakamori said, one hand on Kaito's shoulder.

"Thanks…" Kaito let himself lean against Aoko. Yeah, definitely needed to work on that knock out gas formula. He'd get the details about what happened after he was knocked out later. Along with analyzing what on earth had happened tonight. He'd just…sit here for a while.

He was quite probably emotionally compromised. No, Saguru reflected, he _was_ emotionally compromised and it was his own fault. It had been stress relief. Rile up Kuroba, play along with his so called seduction tactics because it was fun, and there wasn't much that was enjoyable lately. He hadn't let that distract him from his heists. He hadn't been caught. But he'd let Kuroba in and the Crystal Mother fiasco had shown him that Saguru cared too much. Clearly Kuroba was just as compromised; he hadn't even tried to arrest Saguru that night. But by playing Kuroba's game, he'd pulled Kuroba into the danger, and that didn't sit well in Saguru's stomach. He'd remained as distant as possible in all the places he'd been to keep people from harm.

Once compromised by his grandfather's love, once by his fascination with Kuroba, he was doubly in deep.

Saguru huddled in on himself in his bedroom, blocking out the world as best he could. Somewhere downstairs Bayaa would be working with grandfather's housekeeper on dinner. Another connection he hadn't planned on. He was grateful for her presence though he knew that he would be dragging her down with him in the end and putting her in danger with every heist he went on.

Just. Things weren't meant to be this way and he couldn't help the rising feeling of panic when he thought about how things were spiraling out of control. He'd have to do something. Cut contact. Move on, something, even though he didn't want to. He'd stayed too long and was running out of time anyway.

o*o

The heist tonight was back at the museum like old times. Saguru was prepared for Kuroba by this point; his appearing apparently from nowhere or launching himself from somewhere high was to be expected, but he wasn't sure what to expect this time after the Crystal Mother debacle. They'd managed to work together for that, so where did that leave them?

Kuroba falling from the ceiling at him was answer enough. Saguru's breath was punched from his chest as Kuroba knocked him flat on his back. Ow. They rolled a few feet, over each other in a painful tangle of limbs. Saguru ended up on the bottom much like their second meeting, only his hands weren't so much intentionally pinned as they were awkwardly entangled in Kuroba's clothing and stuck between their chests.

"You bastard," Kuroba said. "You knocked me out using my own equipment!"

Saguru rolled his eyes, still getting his breath back. He was a _thief_ , of course he was going to pick Kuroba's pockets for the more useful things he had—and to keep them from being used on him.

"If you want knock out gas, go make your own!"

"But yours works so well," Saguru said, only slightly breathless. He touched one of Kuroba's hidden pockets where his right hand had tangled with his jacket. "Besides, it wasn't like it was that well hidden."

"That…you…!" Kuroba scowled at him. "Just for that, I'm going to make a point to pickpocket you whenever you're not paying attention."

"Well that makes you quite the hypocrite."

"Says the internationally wanted thief." Kuroba twitched as Saguru tried to free his hand—it had ended up half in Kuroba's open jacket sleeve near his armpit. Ticklish? Or…? Saguru brushed past the hidden pocket and against Kuroba's pectoral on the way to freedom, then down his side. He didn't get another twitch, but he did get an unreadable look. "You said you'd explain."

"I did," Saguru said. The moment felt heavy, significant, or perhaps just charged. But this was the wrong place and time. Saguru shifted his weight, flipping them before Kuroba could do more than widen his eyes.

"Hey!" Kuroba sputtered.

"Not here," Saguru said. He stood up.

"Then where?"

Saguru strolled toward the target, pretending he didn't see Kuroba's hands twitch toward something in his pockets as he picked it up—no alarms, he'd turned all of that off tonight. He closed his eyes for a breath. He was so compromised. He shouldn't be doing this but… Saguru threw Kuroba a smile and a wink. "Catch me and find out."

"What?"

Saguru didn't let Kuroba process further than that; he ran, knowing Kuroba would follow. Knowing that he'd let himself be followed rather than pulling his disappearing act. Kuroba could catch him for real like this if he chose to. If he had alerted the police. If his curiosity was outweighed by up keeping the law. But Saguru didn't think it was. Kuroba walked back and forth over the line of legalities so often that it might as well not exist in Kuroba's book or be drawn some other arbitrary location entirely.

Footsteps pounded after him, keeping pace as Saguru wove through alarms and slipped past guard rotations. He was reminded of their first meeting as he slipped through a disarmed window. This time he didn't bother rearming it.

Kuroba caught up near the small cluster of trees up the hill, shooting what looked like playing cards at him. They clearly weren't just cards since they stuck in the tree near Saguru's head, but it did wonders to spur him on. It was like the strangest game of tag Saguru had ever played, gaining ground, then almost getting caught before he slipped away again. His lungs hurt from running and his heart was beating as fast as he could remember it ever beating, but it was strangely liberating.

They moved back into civilization, down an alley and up an emergency staircase. Kuroba caught Saguru's arm, and for a moment they grappled before Saguru twisted away again.

"I hate you so much," Kuroba gasped, climbing up metal stairs after him.

Saguru surprised himself by laughing. Or as close to laughter as he could manage when each breath burned in his chest.

They reached the roof and Kuroba grabbed him again. "Just hold—" He swore when Saguru used his leverage against him to send Kuroba staggering away. "If you would stop—!" Kuroba growled, tripping Saguru with a leg sweep he was too tired to avoid. He went down hard. His shoulder was going to be a mess of bruises tomorrow. Kuroba caught his ankle and Saguru kicked. They fought on the concrete rooftop without finesse. Tonight's heist made more bruises from its place in his pocket, but the pain made the moment feel all the more real. It utterly lacked control and it was both terrifying and freeing in a way that made Saguru's head spin more than the struggle for breath did.

He ended up half on top of Kuroba, one leg between Kuroba's legs and arms bracketed around Kuroba's head. Kuroba's hair was a mess, his lip swollen from taking Saguru's elbow to his face. He scowled and his eyes were a brilliant, glittering blue in the moonlight. Saguru laughed as that scowl grew. His lips dipped down to meet Kuroba's own like two magnets meeting, breathing each other's breaths as adrenaline flooded through them.

"Such…an asshole," Kuroba said in the space between breaths, pulling Saguru down to bite at his lips in punishment.

The pain barely registered, one more sharp note in the spiraling mess of it all. Saguru's hands caught in Kuroba's hair and the fabric of his t-shirt. Kuroba's body beneath him was all warm muscle and skin where their faces brushed together. He tasted like sweat and stale coffee and the indefinable taste that all mouths had. He gasped when Kuroba's fingers dug into his back, pulling him closer, not away. He strained up into Saguru's touch, kissing back with as much intent as Saguru gave.

Saguru wasn't sure if it was Kuroba or him that shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, but it brought their hips together and Saguru couldn't help rolling his hips down with a groan against the burgeoning hardness he felt from Kuroba. Kuroba gasped, breaking the kiss to whine into Saguru's throat. His hips moved up in return and for a few moments, they ground against each other, lost in sensation.

The hand not occupied with Kuroba's hand found itself wandering down along Kuroba's hip. It brushed against the front of Kuroba's pants and Kuroba suddenly went rigid.

"Shit," he croaked.

Saguru pulled back. "…Kuroba?" Wide blue eyes stared back at him, horrified. Reality came crashing back down around him, the giddy adrenaline rush dying in the space between breaths.

"This isn't…" Kuroba's hands clenched on Saguru's shoulders, bruising, even as he didn't look away. "I'm not. What am I doing?"

"I'm sorry." Saguru tried to move away but couldn't due to Kuroba's death grip.

"This is actually gay. It's not supposed to be gay." There was a panic attack brewing in Kuroba's eyes and Saguru didn't know what to do about it.

"To be quite frank, on my end it was inevitably gay since I am gay," Saguru said.

"Not helping." Kuroba finally let go in order to cover his face in his hands. "Holy shit."

Saguru crouched over him one hand half outstretched. He let it fall to his side. "Kuroba?"

"I can't…just…"

Saguru withdrew. He watched the rapid rise and fall of Kuroba's chest. Wonderful, one more thing to feel guilty about. "I'm sorry," Saguru repeated, meaning it.

"Just go," Kaito said. "Escape. I can't do this right now."

Saguru took a step back, then another as Kuroba failed to move. Kuroba was still laying in the middle of the roof when Saguru reached the fire escape. After that, he didn't know what Kuroba did.

He walked several blocks before removing his mask and sitting on a bench, calling up Baaya with his location since she was waiting for the call. The brief moment of feeling free was hollow and cold now. He didn't feel much of anything, just numb. Tonight was a mistake.

*o*o*

Kaito sat for an indeterminate amount of time on the roof, feeling colder and colder as the concrete leeched the heat from him. It was made worse by the fact that he'd been briefly warm when the thief had been over him, and he half wished that the Shadow Thief was still there even though that wouldn't have helped the whirl of conflicting feelings in his head. "Fuck," Kaito said to empty night air. What was he doing?

He pulled out his phone. The blue glow on the screen showed that it was after two in the morning. He tried Shinichi's cell phone anyway. It rang and rang before the message system picked up. He hung up the call and tried his parents. Neither of their phones picked up either. "Fuck." His thumb hovered over Aoko's contact information. What would he even say? 'Hey, I just had a gay moment, what do I do about this?' His screen timed out and he kept staring at the flat blackness of it before trying Shinichi again. "Come on. Pick up…" It went to voicemail again and Kaito's shoulders hunched as he curled into himself. He wanted a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen and maybe some hugs until he stopped feeling freaked out, or could push aside the overwhelming (pleasant, consuming, hungry) feeling of gloved hands on his body. "Shinichi," he said to the message system, "can you meet up? Please? Or at least call back? I need to talk." He'd waited too long to start his message and the system cut him off before he could work up the will to put in words what he needed to talk about.

Kaito hung up and took a deep breath. Fine. He was perfectly, one hundred percent _fine_ , not freaked out at all. He would just. Go home. To his bedroom full of notes on the Shadow Thief and the notebook full of theories, and the dress Sonoko had let him borrow on the off chance he thought he needed to cross dress again—yeah, maybe not home yet.

Kaito let his body go on autopilot, focused his mind on the feeling of his body moving and the breath in his lungs, breaking every movement down in his mind like he did when he learned a new trick. Another blank chunk of time later, Kaito found himself outside the Kudo mansion. He used his set of keys to get in and made his way to the library on automatic; it was where he'd spent the most time with Shinichi growing up because Shinichi was a complete nerdy bookworm when he wasn't being a soccer or mystery geek. There was a layer of dust everywhere, like Shinichi hadn't been in the house in weeks. Kaito settled into one of the comfortable chairs and drew his knees to his chest, breathing in the familiar smell of aging books. It helped.

Kaito was almost feeling calm, drowsing off in the chair, when his phone rang.

" _Kaito?"_ Shinichi said on the other end, sounding worried. " _What's going on? Where are you?"_

"Your house," Kaito said, drowsiness melting away and the nerves returning.

 _"What?"_

"I'm at your house," Kaito repeated. "In the library."

 _"Are you okay?"_ Kaito half thought Shinichi would drop whatever he was doing and return with that tone if he said he wasn't. That was the voice that promised justice for murders.

"Physically, yeah, mentally?" Kaito laughed, a hollow sound for a hollow feeling. "You were right. I'm an idiot."

 _"I'm going to need clarification_ ," Shinichi said.

Kaito laughed again, a little hysterically, and maybe he was being ridiculous for feeling so upset over this, but he couldn't help that he was feeling it. "The seduction plan. Really stupid of me."

There was a beat of absolute silence on the other end before Shinichi said, " _Did he hurt you?"_

"No," Kaito said, "no, but I'm an idiot and it stopped being a role at some point and I think I'm at least a little bit gay and I don't really know what to think about that." The words came out in a rush and he was only half sure that they had been intelligible because he all but said it into his knees. Saying it out loud made it real, and that shouldn't have meant much since you couldn't get more real than grinding against another man's erection, but apparently his brain disagreed.

There was another longer silence, then, _"Okay. You're actually attracted to him then. Is the attraction the problem or did one of you do something that made you uncomfortable? Because it's okay if you men."_

"I know it's okay," Kaito snapped. "I just didn't think it applied to me. The liking men thing, not whether or not it was okay. He's a thief I shouldn't be feeling this, it's not like I even know anything about him or what he looks like—well, not much about him or his looks. I know he's athletic and intelligent and can cut to the root of your insecurities and wield words like a knife. And he's stubborn, arrogant, and cares about children. Not as levelheaded as he pretends to be. Extremely fit under the dark clothing he wears and—"

 _"Kaito."_

Kaito realized he was maybe freaking out a little again. Just a bit. "Yeah. So. I feel pretty stupid because everything backfired horribly and rather than catching the thief, I ended up attracted to him. Can I fail any more as a detective?"

 _"To be fair, you probably know more about him than any of the professional detectives trying to catch him."_

"Probably," Kaito admitted. He highly doubted any of them knew the Shadow Thief was gay or what he kissed like.

 _"What happened?"_ Shinichi asked.

Kaito told him, catching him up on the Crystal Mother heist and the promise the thief made, and to tonight's chase and its abrupt end. "I liked it," Kaito groaned. "He could be some thirty year old weirdo who's looking for his ideal perfect gem and gets off to teenagers, and I liked it." Liked him, Kaito didn't say. Still liked him. He's been cut down by the thief's words and left questioning himself more than once, but it had been fun too. He'd felt acknowledged and seen for himself, and there had been sincere compliments among the criticisms thrown his way. The thief was a bastard, but he'd only been offended when Kaito didn't take him seriously. There had been some weird kind of respect forming between them.

 _"I question your taste in men,_ " Shinichi said drily, " _but I suppose that's something of a personal opinion. Besides,"_ he said, gentler, " _you might not know who he is, but you do know enough about him to form a judgment of his character. Even if he is a thief."_

"Yeah." Kaito felt a bit better. "I don't think he's a bad person. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, and whatever he's doing, he's not actually keeping what he takes…"

" _Mm._ " Shinichi hummed under his breath. _"What worries me are the people you ran into on the train."_

"Yeah." Kaito sighed. "He was going to say something about that tonight except…"

 _"You got side tracked._ " The dry tone was back and Shinichi was definitely judging him. Kaito rolled his eyes. He felt a lot calmer now though. Just talking about it made it easier to accept this new part of himself that he hadn't known about. _"What now?"_ Shinichi asked.

"I don't know. Try to find his next heist and go from there?" Kaito wasn't going to stop chasing the thief even with everything. He only had more questions now, and he couldn't stop until he got a few more answers. That must be how Shinichi felt most of the time, that driving need to see the whole picture and make sense of all the little bits and pieces floating around the puzzle. It wasn't so different from the feeling Kaito had when he saw his dad perform a new trick at a show and Kaito had to find a way that he could pull the same thing off. This was deeper and more personal than trying to figure out the method behind a walking on air performance or how to make a turkey appear to come from a top hat.

 _"So you're going to keep chasing him."_ Shinichi sighed. " _Okay. But be careful. Doubly careful because there are people with guns and you don't know what's going on with your thief."_

Kaito would protest calling the thief 'his,' but since he'd had his tongue in the man's mouth and spent a good part of the night chasing him across the city like some kind of private courtship ritual, maybe the possessive context was appropriate. "I will." He breathed in the dusty, familiar library air. He'd see what the thief had to say, and depending on what that was, he'd make his decisions from there. "Shinichi, can we meet up soon?"

He expected another refusal or excuse, but he got a sigh instead. " _Soon,"_ Shinichi said. " _I can't give a date yet, but I think we should probably talk face to face."_ There was something ominous in his tone that made Kaito feel like he wouldn't like that meeting, but after so many times of being turned down flat, he was glad for even the suggestion of meeting up. " _Sleep at my house, Kaito. Say hi to Dr. Agasa when you wake up. Get your emotions sorted and I'll call you as soon as I can figure out a day and time we can meet up, okay?"_

"Yeah, thanks, Shinichi."

 _"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope you feel more like your hyperactive, annoying self soon."_

Kaito laughed, feeling a spark of mischief. He'd leave some booby traps around the house to surprise Shinichi next time he was home. He wouldn't be able to see his reactions, but the thought of Shinichi's expression as he got a face full of glitter was priceless. "Goodnight, Shinichi."

" _Morning,"_ Shinichi corrected. The sun was already poking above the horizon. _"Sleep._ "

"I will," Kaito promised as he hung up the phone.

*o*o*

The overstuffed armchair Saguru was in was comfortable, and so was the fire a few feet away. At his elbow was the cup of tea his grandfather handed to him before he went to bed, and Baaya was knitting something across the room, her knitting needles clicking in a familiar, soothing way. None of that was enough to keep the frown off his face as he flipped through his notes. There were a handful of gemstones left in the Tokyo area that he needed to target so far as he could tell. A group from Suzuki's collection to be taken in one go if at all possible (potentially a difficulty since there was now always someone posted to watch the collection from Nakamori's task force), a few notable stones tied to businesses, and one in the private collection of an old woman who was acquaintances with Saguru's grandfather. The last would be the easiest of the group; Fujioka Hinako was not concerned about the security of her heirlooms. When the topic of recent thefts had come up, she'd pointed out that everything was returned anyway, so it was hardly something she would worry over. Overhearing that conversation had left him both amused and frustrated because he was hardly the only thief out there, and a copycat wouldn't be near so restrained if they made it past what security did exist.

Saguru took a sip of his tea and found it cold. Not surprising since he couldn't say how long he had been looking things over.

He looked at the papers one last time before setting them aside with a sigh. There was no putting it off; in a few weeks he would have exhausted Tokyo's resources and would have to expand outwards whether he wanted to or not. It was probably good timing considering his misstep with Kuroba… Saguru closed his eyes, embarrassed at his own lack of control and felt a bit disgusted by it when he remembered how upset Kuroba had looked.

Kuroba had been seemingly fine the next day of school. He's smiled and poked and prodded Nakamori Aoko into a rage and run laughing. Four people got pranked before lunchtime and one of their teachers almost lost her temper enough to send Kuroba into the hall (which would have been a spectacularly bad idea, because then _no one_ would have been watching him). It was quintessential Kuroba at his most mischievous, and that was how Saguru knew it was fake even without Koizumi sending Saguru a displeased look at lunch time.

Regardless of how he felt about the matter, he couldn't do anything about it as Saguru. Saguru remained the strange classmate that kept to himself except for his bad habit of watching the class clown a bit closer than was appropriate.

In a few weeks, he would be gone and they would likely not spare him any thought a few weeks after that, leaving with as little ripple as his arrival had been.

"Baaya," Saguru said quietly.

The click of knitting needles paused. "Yes?"

"Please make plans for a hotel in Osaka in three weeks from now."

"Will that be enough time?" Baaya asked. Her eyes passed over the papers Saguru had set aside.

"I'll manage."

She hummed and set her knitting aside. Saguru blinked when she moved to brush his bangs away from his forehead and give him a kiss like she had when he was still a small child. "I've done some preliminary research on some targets. Focus yourself on what you need to do here." Her smooth-skinned hand patted his cheek once before she left him alone.

Saguru pretended that his eye didn't sting.

Calm, cool, collected. He breathed in, breathed out. He'd come this far, it wouldn't be that hard to keep going.

*o*o*

Kaito slipped in through a first floor window, nerves buzzing with the knowledge that he shouldn't be doing this. He didn't even know if this was a target home or not, just running off a rumor and a gut feeling. There hadn't been enough proof dug up to convince Nakamori about it, so he was on his own and this was very very much not legal. Kaito was getting a little desperate though. He'd missed the thief twice since that night, just a hair too slow to beat him to the target in order to challenge him and demand some answers.

He was pretty sure the thief was avoiding him.

The moon was bright and full outside just above the horizon as Kaito padded down a hallway, lighting his way. His target was the attic. He'd waited just an hour after dusk, all the earlier he dared, because he wanted to be sure to be there first this time. If the thief would be targeting this house. On this night. It was embarrassing how much of Kaito's methods involved gut feelings and guesswork and a healthy bit of luck. Kaito'd always been lucky. He was counting on that luck today since the mansion's inhabitants were still awake and moving around.

The attic room was surprisingly bright and open, two round windows at either end of the roof peak letting in the moonlight to show orderly boxes and displays, all well maintained despite what Kaito had heard about the family matriarch not caring much about her predecessor's collections. There had been only a simple alarm on the window and there were no alarms here. Kaito walked into the open space with confidence that he wouldn't set the police on himself at least.

For a moment he was sure he'd made it first, but then he spotted the mottled gray clothing the thief preferred sitting alongside one of the large round windows. He didn't look like he was at a heist; if anything, he looked lost in thought.

"I was wondering if you would be here tonight," the thief said without turning to look at him. "Are the police waiting in the wings or is this another one of your vigilante nights?" At this he did turn, a small smile on his lips, just the edge of mocking.

Kaito stared at him. There was something off here. The thief was too relaxed. No, not relaxed, tired. The thief snorted as Kaito took a few slow steps forward. He looked back out the window. "I've already checked what I came here for. You don't need to have your conscience bother you tonight; I'm not going to be stealing anything."

"I've wondered about that," Kaito said, voice light and keeping all uneasiness he felt out of it and his body language. "If you're just checking gems, why steal them at all?"

"Hmm." The thief glanced sideways at him as Kaito came to a stop just out of reach. "I could just check them I suppose. But most places don't have as light of security as here or as good of lighting, and when they do, taking the gems tends to lead to better security for them in the future. I do feel a bit bad for the lost sense of security for the owners though. Peace of mind tends to be hard to get back once it's been shattered."

Kaito tried to read the thief as he turned toward Kaito fully. What he did read was all wrong. There was no defensiveness in the set of his shoulders, nor the confidence he usually projected. It felt like looking at a stranger, which they technically were. Kaito didn't move when the thief stood. There was something sad in the set of his mouth and what little Kaito could see of his eyes. Gloved fingers touched his cheek so lightly it almost tickled.

"I thought this from the start, but you'd make a good thief. Maybe even a better one than me." There was a self-depreciating tone to that that Kaito wasn't sure what to do with. "Pity you chose to be the detective. I wonder what it would have been like if things were different."

"What," Kaito said, half joking, "if you were the detective and I was the thief? I'm afraid I can't see it. I'm too much of a showman to skulk about in shadows."

The thief snorted. "Isn't that what you're doing here now?" His hand dropped back to his side. Kaito's face tingled with the lingering impression of silk. "I promised you answers, but first I must apologize. I failed to control myself and I made you uncomfortable. I promise not to cross those boundaries again."

A strangled sound of disbelief forced its way from Kaito's throat. "I'm the one who was trying to seduce you! It's my own damn fault for getting in over my head."

"Nevertheless." It was weird how the Shadow Thief kept that arm's length of distance between them. Ordinarily they would be forcing their way into personal space, and aggressively poking each other verbally to see who would break first. Kaito wasn't sure what to do with this, especially since he still wasn't sure what to do with his newly resolved sexuality. Test that it wasn't a fluke? Yeah, he'd kissed the guy enough times that it was pretty safe to say it wasn't just a matter of getting too caught up in stimulation for stimulation's sake.

Kaito shook his head. "About those answers?"

He got a tight smile in return. The thief waved a hand at the bench he had been sitting on. Kaito took the invitation and sat. The thief sat as far away on the bench as possible. The distance was kind of irritating actually. It was like he was trying to make up for going too far too fast by going too far the other direction like they'd never had their tongues in each other's mouths.

"You know," Kaito said, because he couldn't help but prod people sometimes, "I thought it was my job to figure out your deep, dark backstory. Or did you decide detectives get to ask and get answers sometimes?"

"Give me your best guess first then," the thief said. He sat properly while Kaito drew his legs up onto the bench to lean against his knees.

Pff, yeah, definitely had proper etiquette drilled into him. "Well…" Kaito said, "you're searching for some sort of large gem that shows special properties in moonlight and there's a group of criminals after the same thing. Either you both want the gem for whatever special reason the moonlight's important, or you're trying to get it because you don't want them to have it." The thief had been scathing when he pointed out their differences in morals. He didn't approve of the other group or their methods, their attempts to kill him aside. "You're from a well off background—no trouble with money or you wouldn't be able to pull off the tech things you do, and probably wouldn't be giving back the gems you stole. You've got morals—you don't hurt people, you only take the gems you need before returning them, you protect innocents caught in the crossfire," Kaito went out on a limb with a gut feeling based on some of the expressions he'd seen and the tones used when the thief talked about detective work versus theft, "you don't really like stealing even if it doesn't bother you morally enough to stop. It's a job you feel you have to do." Kaito gave him a roguish grin. "How am I doing?"

"Surprisingly well for what little proof you have." The thief looked at him intently. "And why do you think I care about this gem?"

"You think something bad will happen if the other party gets it?" Kaito hazarded. Or maybe… "…Something happened that made you aware that it was a problem, and that thing makes you feel obligated to see it through?"

"And that something?"

Kaito swallowed. The intense stare might as well be a dare. What would motivate him? What would have been jarring enough to make a man start stealing on a quest for some stone he only had the most basic of parameters on (because really, he couldn't have much to go on with the sheer variety of gems that had been targeted)? The answer to that had to lie in the group that also presumably had the same goal. And the question there was, how had they crossed paths in the first place? Kaito thought about the gun so casually held to Phillip's head. The bullet that had grazed the thief that could have been so much worse. "Someone died," he said softly, sure of the answer. The thief stared him down for a long moment before clapping softly.

"Perhaps you have deductive abilities after all," the thief said, "or a very fortunate imagination. You're correct. Someone died." The half-smile that he had on his face fell away into something that Kaito could only read as grief. "My father," the thief said quietly. "He was trying to stop this group, but he didn't realize how deep it went… They're an organization with footholds across the world. If a crime exists, they have done some form of it." The half-smile was back, wry and tired. "Father wanted to tear them down and eliminate them. I don't have any illusion that one man can achieve this, but I can keep them from getting their hands on things that would make them stronger."

"And the gem would do that?" Kaito asked. He leaned closer, caught in the story.

"They're searching for a gemstone supposedly known as Pandora. The legends surrounding it describe it as a gem that glows red in the moonlight, and weeps tears of immortality when a certain comet passes by."

"Immortality sounds like something you definitely wouldn't want bad guys getting ahold of," Kaito said.

The thief snorted. "Somehow I was expecting you to be more skeptical at the thought of an immortality granting gemstone."

Kaito grinned back and shrugged. "Hey, there's some weird things out there. I've seen enough actual magic to not write off legends when I hear them. Besides, your mysterious organization clearly believes in the legend, and that's enough reason to believe."

"It is," the thief said. "Or it was for me"

"What do you plan to do once you get it?"

"Destroy it," he responded immediately. "By whatever means necessary. Even dropping it in a volcano if I have to."

"A power too great for man to handle, hmm?" Kaito said with dark humor.

"Quite."

Kaito looked away, not sure what to say. The pieces made sense, and he was sure that he was being told the truth, if perhaps not the whole truth. Somewhere in the mansion below them, floorboards creaked and a door shut. "You didn't have to tell me anything," Kaito said finally to fill the silence. "I've been trying to get you arrested, so it's not like you owed me anything for what happened on the train."

"I am aware." The Shadow Thief was looking away again. "I wanted to."

"…I still feel like I'm obligated to chase you."

The thief snorted. "I hadn't thought you'd change your mind."

Kaito shrugged. Knowing motive did make things more complicated. He'd have to think about how he felt. "Well, I'm not chasing you tonight. You're not stealing anything right now, and this conversation was going to be under truce anyway…"

The thief nodded. "I suppose that the meeting has fulfilled its purpose then. I should be going." He didn't move though and Kaito wondered if he was waiting for something.

They hadn't touched other than the touch to Kaito's cheek, and that had barely been enough to call contact.

That felt wrong.

He had to fix that. He couldn't let the thief leave thinking he'd traumatized Kaito or something because he hadn't. Last time had been Kaito's subconscious suddenly smacking him in the face, not any direct upset from the thief's actions. They'd both been too into it. Shoving down any signs of nerves, Kaito conjured one of the flowers he always kept on hand. He got a bemused look in return as he held it out. "Here. It would be a shame if you left completely empty handed."

"And here I thought your purpose was to ensure that exact result," came the dry response, but gloved fingers closed around the stem. Kaito changed his grip on it to ensure their hands touched. The thief paused before pulling back with the flower in hand. "Thank you."

Kaito grinned. "I don't have to chase you if you leave with that. It's freely given, not stolen."

"And what if I wanted you to chase me?" the thief joked. Or perhaps it was flirting? Did Kaito want it to be flirting or was he reading too far into that?

Kaito kept his calm and let himself be flirty back. "Well, I could always chase you if that's what you want. I figured I'd give you the rest of the night off though."

That gets him a true laugh, though it trails off quickly. "Good night, Kuroba," the thief said. He tucked the flower into his shirt, its petals a splash of red against the mottled gray. They looked at each other for a moment before the thief took Kaito's hand, seemingly by impulse. For a moment Kaito thought he might shake it, or more dramatically, kiss it, but he just squeezed it once before backing away, holding Kaito's gaze until he reached the stairs before turning away.

Kaito watched him disappear down the stairs to the rest of the mansion. It was only after he was gone that Kaito realized his hand was still held out away from his side like some sort of heroine in a cheesy movie reaching out for her lover's back. He lowered it, blushing now that he was alone. That had been weird. So weird. And kind of awkward and strangely intimate despite having had two feet between them the whole conversation.

"What am I even doing?" Kaito asked the moon. He'd kind of hoped the thief would kiss him.

That kind of clarified whether or not he had a crush, didn't it?

He pulled himself together with a light slap to his cheeks. There was a time and a place to get caught up in the ridiculousness of attraction, and in someone else's home was not that place. He'd given the thief plenty of time to get wherever he needed to be. Kaito retreated, leaving no more sign that he'd been there than the thief had left.

o*o

As Kaito prepared for school the next day, he couldn't stop thinking about the night before. Why had everything been so…off? The thief hadn't known Kaito was going to be there, but had waited in the attic anyway. He'd given Kaito an explanation. He'd grabbed Kaito's hand at the end like he didn't want to go. The more Kaito thought about it, the more those actions felt like a message he wasn't getting.

It didn't click until Kaito stepped into his classroom and heard Keiko say, "Hakuba-kun transferred?"

Kaito froze on the threshold.

Himura, whose uncle was the principal, nodded. "It was really abrupt. He didn't even say where he was transferring to, apparently."

Pieces slid into place like building blocks. Hakuba, who ate with impeccable manners as an afterthought. Hakuba, who had a driver pick him up and drop him off at school most days. Hakuba, who watched Kaito about as much as he paid attention to the teachers. Hakuba, who didn't bother to make any friends. Hakuba, who transferred to Tokyo the same time as the thief appeared. And then there was the thief that knew Kaito's name and face and friendships. Who watched and spoke words where he knew would strike worst. Who traveled wealthy circuits like Hakuba—Hakuba laboratories, Kaito was an idiot—would have been born into. He spoke _perfect Japanese_ even after years in Great Brittan.

Who had been saying _goodbye_ last night.

Fuck. Hakuba Saguru was the Shadow Thief. With a slight feeling of hysteria, Kaito noted that at least he didn't have to worry about an age gap after all.

"Kaito?" Aoko asked, waving a hand in front of his face. How long had she been doing that?

"I have to go," he said.

"What?" Aoko frowned. "Bakaito, you can't just skip class!"

Kaito backed away before she could reach the nearest mop as a weapon. "I just remembered something important. Let me see your notes later, okay?"

"Kaito!" Aoko called after him, but Kaito was already jogging down the hallway.

He pulled up a quick search on his phone—Hakuba, Hakuba…. Hakuba laboratories, leading the way with genetic research and understanding of the human genome… Hakuba Heihashi, no relation… Hakuba Kentaro of Hakuba labs…. Hakuba Takuya, police officer, death eight years ago… Kaito frowned. Eight years. Why would Hakuba become a thief now if his dad died eight years ago? He'd been pretty high up in the chain of command too; the article implied he was being considered for the next police commissioner. If these people could take out someone so high profile, no wonder the thief was determined to stay under the radar…and no wonder he didn't think he could get justice for his father's murder.

He tried a search on Hakuba Saguru. Not much came up, but there was an article from a few years ago about him being a witness in a crime. He'd apparently helped solve it. Combined with his dad's police background, maybe that was why Hakuba was so serious about what it meant to be a detective…

Kaito found himself two blocks away from the school, burning with the need to do something but not quite sure what. Confront Hakuba? Yeah, like that would work out well. For all Kaito knew, Hakuba had already left the country.

Well, when in doubt, call Shinichi.

…and no one picked up. Kaito scowled at his phone. He was going to need to have a Talk with people about availability and cell phones, and how it was kind of pointless to tell him 'call any time' when he could never get ahold of anyone he did call.

Predictably, the calls he made to his parents, Shinichi's parents, and his usual contacts all failed to reach anyone at all. (Though the call to Sonoko got cut off almost immediately and was followed by an angry text saying _I'm in class! If it's not an emergency, go call someone else!_ )

Kaito tried Shinichi again and _still_ didn't get through. He pursed his lips. Shinichi said they'd meet up sometime? Fine. But since Kaito couldn't get answers about Hakuba right now, it was about time he went and got some answers about Shinichi.

o*o

It took twenty five minutes to get to Agasa's home and only a few seconds to pick the lock. Kaito wasn't in the mood to exchange pleasantries and people tended to give a lot more away when they were off guard. He slipped his shoes off in the entry way and didn't bother with guest slippers as he padded through familiar hallways toward the professor's lab. He paused outside the door, fixed a smirk on his face, and burst through the door. "Yo, Hakase~! I think it's about time we had a talk!"

There was a shout echoed by a too high pitched yelp, and Kaito found himself staring at the Agasa, a little girl pointing a gun in his direction, and a child that looked a _lot_ like Shinichi had at age six. Kaito narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell."

"Haibara, don't shoot, he's a friend!" the mini Shinichi gasped. The girl changed her aim from somewhere lethal to something slightly less deadly without lowering the gun at all.

"Ah, Kaito-kun," the professor said. He had the mangled remains—beginnings of?—what looked like a watch in one hand. "It's been a while. Have you met my, er, niece and nephew?"

Kaito gave Agasa a flat look. He knew full well Agasa didn't have any relatives these children's ages. "Since when did you take in two kids?" He held up a hand, "Correction, when did you take in two kids since Shinichi and I were that age because I'm pretty sure I'd remember that you had sibling. Or aunt or uncle. Or cousin. Considering you took us to a family event once and your closest relative was related to you by a great uncle, not counting your mother."

Agasa and the boy exchanged a look. A really familiar look.

"Oh, god, that's Shinichi."

"No he's…uh…"

Kaito rubbed at his temples as Agasa tried to come up with some sort of excuse. "If you try to say he's Shinichi's cousin next, I doubly call bullshit. Besides, I've had weirder things happen than hearing someone got chibi-fied." Kaito fixed Shinichi—and that was definitely Shinichi's guilty expression behind those giant glasses (those were Uncle Yusaku's glasses weren't they?)—with a demanding stare. "What happened and when?"

"Uh."

"No, don't tell me," Kaito said. "It wasn't long after we last met up was it? So it's been months."

"What was I supposed to do, show up and go, hi! I almost died, but somehow I'm a six year old again?!" Shinichi said.

The little girl with the gun finally pointed it at the ground. "Kudo, you're an idiot."

"He already figured it out," Shinichi said. "He wasn't going to accept anything I could have made up."

"No one's worried about how he got in?"

"Locks haven't been a problem for me since I was eight," Kaito said.

"That does nothing to make me feel better," the girl said.

"You're not a normal kid either," Kaito said, observing her. If the gun wasn't a dead giveaway, the cold expression was. Little kids didn't get angry like that.

"Would someone give an introduction?" she said.

"Haibara, meet my cousin Kuroba Kaito, Kaito, meet Haibara Ai."

"Cousin…?"

"Not genetically related," Kaito said with a restrained grin. "Not unless our parents are lying in which case, there's a chance we have a really interesting family dynamic."

"Ugh. Please don't put that sort of thought in my mind," Shinichi muttered.

Kaito gave him an innocent look. "I'm not sure what you're imagining, but I'm sure it's not what I meant."

Shinichi waved a hand. "Long story short, Kaito, I followed some people I shouldn't have, got knocked out and fed a poison that was supposed to kill me. Instead I ended up like this." He waved a hand at himself. He was wearing a shirt that Kaito could swear he remembered from Shinichi's childhood. It made him look more vulnerable being that size and wearing that shirt, like he really was the kid Kaito remembered him being, and he felt a little sick at the thought of Shinichi left somewhere to die a painful death alone.

"That sounds pretty awful," Kaito said, serious for a moment. "Is there a cure?"

Shinichi and the girl both grimaced. "Working on it," Shinichi said.

It was even more horrifying to think that Shinichi could have died and Kaito might not have known for days, weeks, depending on if someone thought to call him. He lived alone. Would anyone have thought to look at first? The thought of losing someone he found important for good was always something he tried not to think too hard about, so Kaito forced himself around to look at the positive in this situation. "Well…Until then…" He scooped Shinichi up into a hug as Shinichi flailed and sputtered. "You're portable! I could actually pick you up and carry you away like I always threaten to."

"Kaito put me down!" Shinichi kicked, and ow, he clearly still had a decent amount of his soccer gained muscles in that form.

Kaito held him up by his armpits so his feet dangled ineffectually. "Nope. This is payback for those times you took advantage of you know what."

"That was payback for you being annoying!"

"Too bad." Kaito grinned. He glanced at their audience and was glad to see that they found it amusing too. Though Haibara's smirk looked a little scary. "Besides, this is fun. I could just carry you everywhere."

Shinichi went limp with a sigh. "Great. You're going to be even worse than Hattori aren't you?"

Kaito blinked. "Who's Hattori?"

For a second Shinichi looked surprised before realization spread across his face. "Oh yeah, I met him after I shrunk, didn't I? You wouldn't have met him."

Shinichi had the same slightly fond, slightly frustrated look he got on his face when he talked about Kaito. "You've made a new friend?!" Kaito blurted.

Shinichi scowled. As a six year old it looked just about as scary as a wet kitten. "No need to be so surprised."

Kaito rolled his eyes and set Shinichi back on the ground. "Let's see, you have, what? Four friends? Ran, me, Agasa who's three times your age, and maaaaybe Shigeo who is pretty much a soccer only friend. Since you never do anything else with him. If you really want to stretch, you can call Sonoko your friend—" Shinichi made a face "—but I know that is pretty out there as far as naming someone a friend. Of course I'm surprised you have a new friend."

Shinichi crossed his arms. "Like you're any better? And what about your new 'friend'? Or can you call him that if you only make out with him?"

Kaito felt a sting of hurt. "Ouch," he said lightly. "And to think I told you about that in confidence too."

Shinichi started to look exasperated, then paused. "Wait, you're actually serious."

Kaito was distantly aware of Agasa clearing his throat and saying something as he left the room in a hurry.

He was a little too annoyed by Shinichi's surprise to care whether Haibara was still watching or not. "No," Kaito said sarcastically, "I've told everyone. I haven't even talked to my parents about this! Who else was I going to talk to about it? Aoko?"

"Well I didn't think you would care about what anyone thought about that kind of thing."

"I called you in the middle of the night having a panic attack about it!"

"You crossdress all the time and never cared about what anyone thought about that!" Shinichi said.

"That was putting on a role and this is completely different!" Kaito realized he'd raised his voice and he reigned himself in. "…When you said we could meet up soon that night, did you really even mean it?"

"Of course I did," Shinichi said.

"And you'd have explained all…this." Kaito waved a hand at Shinichi's child form.

Shinichi looked away. "There's a temporary cure…"

"So you wouldn't have." Shinichi pressed his lips together, the non-answer answer enough. Kaito felt exhausted all at once. Between the thief/Hakuba, weeks of going with less sleep, never being able to get ahold of people, and now Shinichi… "And things would just be back to the last few months where I get you once every three or four phone calls, and we never meet up. Back to where the only time you return my calls is when I leave a voice mail upset. Back to worrying and not knowing anything!" He was getting upset again, and he didn't want to. Because somehow people always just chocked it up to him being dramatic as usual. Mostly he was just getting really tired of never being able to get ahold of anyone when he needed to. Kaito walked away before he got more upset and sat in one of Agasa's computer chairs. He could feel both Shinichi and Haibara watching him like he was one of his dummies about to explode into confetti.

"I didn't tell people," Shinichi said after a moment, "because knowing puts them in danger. People need to think I'm just a kid."

"And not knowing that there's some unknown threat makes them safer?" Kaito said skeptically, but with less bite. He shook his head. He could see why Shinichi would feel that way, see how knowing could change people's actions, but he could also come up with a dozen reasons for why it was important for the people Shinichi cared about to be in the know as well. "Who knows?"

"My parents," Shinichi said. "Agasa. Hattori. Probably your parents."

Of course Kaito's parents would know. They would have been in Vegas with Shinichi's parents when all of this went down. Ran wasn't on that list. That explained Sonoko's complaints about Shinichi pretty well then. "Okay." Those were the facts. He would accept that. "Now I know so you had better not cut me out of the loop anymore."

"I won't," Shinichi said.

"Now that that's settled," the girl, Haibara, said, "I'm going to assume you came barging in here with a purpose?"

Kaito twitched, having half forgotten about her. "Actually I was coming here to try and get information about Shinichi, but now that I have that…" Kaito rounded on Shinichi. "Guess who figured out who the Shadow Thief is?"

"Seriously?"

"Yup." Kaito shrugged. "Though he kind of tipped me off to a few things so I guess I can't challenge you to your meitantei title yet."

"So who is it?"

"A classmate of mine," Kaito said, "so all your worries about the thief being more than twice my age are completely moot."

"Your classmate," Shinichi repeated. "…did you turn him in?"

"No." Of course that would be the first thing Shinichi thought of. Kaito supposed that would have been the first thing Kaito would have thought of back at the start of it all too though. "He transferred yesterday so who knows where he is now."

"And you didn't tell the police who he was or have any proof or anything," Shinichi finished.

"Eh, all my evidence is either circumstantial or from conversations. None of it would hold up anyway."

"You wouldn't turn him in even if you did have evidence, would you," Shinichi said with a sigh.

Kaito shrugged again. "Dunno. I still want to chase him, but I understand him a bit better now and kind of get where he's coming from."

"Of course you'd empathize with a criminal." Shinichi looked a bit pained. Off to the side, Haibara just looked amused. "Well, tell me what has changed since the last time we talked, because last time we talked you were panicking about being attracted to a male thief."

Kaito rolled his eyes and pushed a chair Shinichi's way before launching into what he'd learned the past few weeks. By the time he got to the explanation about Pandora and a group of people searching for immortality, he had both of the room's occupants riveted with identical serious expressions.

"I think," Shinichi said slowly, once Kaito was finished, "that we're going to need to have a talk with this thief."

*o*o*

There was something lifeless in the heists in the last few months. Saguru couldn't say that the first year he spent stealing had been _lively_ per se, but it had been full of emotions. Anxiety, fear, pride, satisfaction at each new success as he pushed his skills further. Now it was hollow. Research the target, infiltrate, get target, extraction. Repeat ad nauseam. He wasn't alone anymore with Baaya helping, but it wasn't the same. The few months he had spent in Tokyo had reminded him of what companionship was supposed to be like. He missed having dinners with his grandfather. He missed the sound of classmates around him and the quiet school routine. He also missed Kuroba challenging him and how that had sparked emotion through him. There wasn't much room for emotion now, and no routine to take comfort in. They moved around Japan, hotel to hotel, inserting themselves where they needed to be when they needed to be and stayed no longer than was necessary.

Not even the brief moments of training Watson held much joy anymore, and once upon a time that had been the best moments of his days.

Tonight's heist was at a museum in Sapporo. It was small, and honestly he wouldn't have been there at all except for there was an exhibit of jewelry showing the progress of wealth expression in northern Japan across several centuries and one of the pieces in the exhibit fit his profile. Northern Japan this time of year was almost as unpleasant as last year's winter month in Russia had been. Thankfully the security was lighter than most of the places Saguru seemed to be breaking into these days.

There was no guard rotation, just a single night guard station and a security system of cameras and alarms that he easily looped and disabled. It was as simple as walking in, checking the piece, and walking out. He didn't even intend to steal this one.

Saguru's footsteps were silent as he walked between cases of minerals and bones and archaeological specimen to the current showroom. His target was the centerpiece of the collection, the most impressive of the various stones. It was intricately carved agate, not his usual target, but the size and age of it, as well as its surprisingly bloody history had caught his attention.

Saguru bent to look at the target and paused as he felt like he was being watched. He stood up, turning only to be tackled with enough force to send both him and his assailant sprawling several feet. Pain and adrenaline had Saguru twisting to get free even as quick hands grappled against him to hold him still. There was a soft click of handcuffs sliding into place before Saguru's attacker pulled back far enough for Saguru to see his face.

"Kuroba?"

Impossibly, Kuroba Kaito sat on Saguru's chest, his handcuffs having latched Saguru's hands above his head, looped through the decorative base of a heavy display stand.

"You," Kuroba said, "are a pain in the ass to track down. It took more than a month to confirm you were even still in Japan."

"What on earth are you doing here?" Kuroba shouldn't have been able to find him. Saguru hadn't been leaving a trail. He'd been moving constantly.

What Kuroba should or should not be able to do clearly didn't impact the fact that Kuroba had tracked him down. Or the fact that he seemed pretty comfortable on Saguru's chest with no intention of moving.

"Funny story," Kuroba said, leaning back on his heels. "Did you know that it turns out I'm the son of a world renowned thief? Two thieves actually. Because I didn't. The things you learn when you have a conversation with your parents that goes beyond talking about what you did since your last phone call." While Saguru's still processing this, Kuroba leaned down and plucked a list out of his pocket. "Oh, and you can cross off a few things from your search; I took the liberty of checking them for you. Samizu Kichiemon had a really wicked sense of humor. Also, you totally owe me for the mansion diamond. I faced the denizens of hell twice to check that one." He shuddered.

"I…what?" If he had expected to ever see Kuroba again, he had been torn between the possibility of having their usual back and forth exchange or, if Kuroba had taken his disappearance personal, having all the police in Tokyo descend on him. This was neither of these things.

"Kichiemon. I know he had to be on the list. Guy from the Bakamatsu era, built a bunch of traps to hide valuable things? His traps are inspired, I'll give you that. Kind of sadistic, but I got the impression he had a warped sense of humor."

Kuroba smiled at him. Saguru stared. "Why?"

"Well there was the whole hidden-in-a-pond bit at the mansion, and then the stupid doll with the safe, and a box that stabs people's fingers if they use it wrong—"

"I meant why did you even bother to check?" Saguru had been holding off on those. They'd been too complicated to do quickly, required too much research, and had a high probability of attracting people like Saguru who only wanted what their complexities held.

"Because," Kaito said, drawing out the word, "I'm here to offer a deal, Hakuba."

Saguru flinched at the use of his name. Kuroba covered his mouth before he could say anything—he had no idea what would even come out of his mouth, denials?—and raised an eyebrow.

"You made it pretty easy to figure out after you told me your motives. Didn't hit me until you weren't at class but I'm not stupid. Also, did you know Akako really doesn't like you? Because she had some very not nice things to say about you. I think she was trying to get me to stop looking for you."

Saguru tried not to hyperventilate. Kuroba _knew_. How was he still not arrested? Unless Kuroba hadn't told anyone…?

"A little calmer?" Kuroba asked, rhetorically since he still had Saguru's mouth covered. Saguru would love to make him remove it, but he didn't think Kuroba would lift his hand for anything less than biting. "Great. So. Deal. You're looking for a gem that grants immortality to keep a mysterious black organization from getting it. It just so happens my cousin is also looking to foil the plans of a mysterious black organization with their mysterious poisons that turn back the hand of time. Now, it looks to me like you're pretty much on your own doing this, and it's always better to have more heads working toward solving a problem. Long story short, you help him, he'll help you, and he has resources like an FBI contact and some Interpol people." Kaito grinned. "And then there's me, who has my parents, who coincidentally enough turn out to have kept up with a pretty wide network of people in the black market and nighttime thievery walk of life. Add in my researching and physical skillset and I think you'd find your job a lot simpler. How's that sound?" He lifted his palm and Saguru kept staring.

"I thought you were the detective," Saguru said finally. "You realize you are offering to assist an internationally wanted thief, correct?"

"Did you miss the part where I said I'm related to thieves?" Kuroba said with a quirked eyebrow. He crossed his arms and said more seriously, "I thought about it a lot. When it comes down to it though, my morals aren't Shinichi's morals, and my morals have always been a bit more gray than they should be for someone who's best friends with a detective and a police officer's daughter. I'm not offering to steal things, just to make that clear. Just help on the research end and maybe checking some of the things that I can get access to."

"Without stealing them."

"Yup."

Saguru let his head fall back against the floor. "Can I have a moment to process the fact that you know who I am and are not going to arrest me?"

"Take all the time you need," Kuroba said, grinning. "Though, please stop messing with the cuffs. You can technically dislocate your thumb to get them off, but if you do it wrong you could seriously hurt your hand."

Saguru stilled his hands. He hadn't even been doing it consciously, there was just that corner of his brain that was still panicking over being caught. "You could just undo the cuffs."

"Nah, I kind of want to savor this moment," Kuroba said.

Saguru sighed. Well. This truly wasn't how he'd expected this night to go. "Do I have to answer your offer right now?"

"No." Kuroba shifted and Saguru was suddenly intimately aware of Kuroba's body and weight as he laid against him. "It's an open offer," he said propping his chin on Saguru's chest. Saguru swallowed thickly.

"How generous."

"I was thinking about it, you know. If I was in your shoes." Saguru was at the wrong angle to glimpse much of Kuroba's expression, but his voice was soft and serious. "I can get where you're coming from. I'd probably do the same. With more flare of course."

"Of course," Saguru said with a snort of laughter.

"Hmm, what do you think about white? Play up the magician aspect, make a spectacle to point the spotlight on the shadows in the corners, hmm?"

"I think you'd have to be crazy and a bit suicidal to be a thief dressed in white."

"It's all about putting on a show," Kuroba said.

"I could see you doing that." Kuroba did prefer to be the center of attention. He'd be a very interesting thief. Definitely not a traditional one.

"I'd probably make it even more interesting by announcing what I was targeting."

"Now that is crazy," Saguru said. "Would you be trying to emulate thieves from manga? You'd have the disadvantage at all times."

"It would be interesting though."

Kuroba was very warm against him. This was the closest he'd been with another human being since he made out with Kuroba on the roof. Thinking about that made him feel too warm though. Saguru shifted slightly, wanting Kuroba to get off him and press closer at the same time.

"Hey, Hakuba?"

"Yes?" Saguru wondered if he could reach one of the lock picks in his sleeve. No, not with Kuroba's weight keeping his body fully stretched like this.

"There was one more thing."

"What was that?" Kuroba's face was suddenly a breath away from his own. Saguru stared up into blue eyes. They were squinted slightly, crinkled at the corners from a smile Saguru was too close to see. He could almost feel it though with each warm exhale against his lips.

"I like you," Kuroba said. "Even if you do drive me crazy and make me want to tie you up just to keep you from running away all the time."

Saguru couldn't breathe, breath caught somewhere in his chest. It broke free with a small gasp as Kuroba's lips brushed his, gentler than any of the kisses they'd exchanged so far.

"Okay?" Kuroba asked, pulling back only enough to break the kiss.

Saguru arched back up into it with a whine rising from the back of his throat that he would be embarrassed about later.

At some point Kuroba undid the handcuffs as Saguru found he could curl his arms around Kuroba's shoulders and hold him. Even more mortifying, his eyes stung hotly. Saguru closed them to try and block the moisture, but it slid down his cheeks in a few tears anyway.

"Hey. Hey, are you okay?" Kuroba murmured. He wiped a tear away with the pad of his thumb.

"This didn't happen," Saguru said, burying his face in Kuroba's collarbone. "I'm fine."

Kuroba held him until his breathing returned to normal. Saguru felt warm and light and drained. It would have been a very peaceful moment if they weren't still in the museum.

"I can't believe we have been sitting here for so long. I need to check the gem and leave."

Kuroba laughed. "Can I come with you? We can hash out how this is all going to work. I can even network a skype call for everyone involved."

"We check the gem, return to my hotel room, sleep, and then see about plans over breakfast," Saguru said.

"Works for me."

Baaya was going to throw a fit. Saguru might too once he came down from the relief of seeing (touching) Kuroba again. He'd live. He was being offered company, support, and perhaps even eventual justice. If he woke up tomorrow with Kuroba still there, he'd accept that it wasn't just a pleasant dream.

o*o

Saguru woke to a warm body next to his and the sound of paper being turned over. He spent several seconds wondering at how half of him could be overheated while the other half was freezing. He turned over to press his cold side into the heat source and realized that it was Kuroba.

"Oh." Yesterday had happened after all.

"Good morning," Kuroba said. He had one of Saguru's books in his hands, the Sherlock Holmes volume that had been a gift from his father with its dual language passages.

"Good morning," Saguru echoed. He usually kept that book in his suitcase. Apparently he had slept deeply enough last night not to notice Kuroba leaving, looking through his things, or his return.

"So." Kuroba pulled something from between the book's pages. "You kept it?"

Saguru blinked, a delayed blush spreading across his face as he realized Kuroba had found the flower he'd given Saguru several months ago.

Kuroba grinned. "Cute."

"It was a moment of sentiment and a lapse of judgment," Saguru said, burying his face in his pillow.

Kuroba's laugh shook through his body and against Saguru's. It send pleasant chills along his spine. "I was surprised to see Sherlock Holmes," Kuroba said. "Shinichi's probably the biggest Holmes fanboy ever, but you'd think you'd be more of a Lupin fan being a thief and all."

"That's stereotyping," Saguru said. It came out muffled into his pillow.

"Eh, I guess. Personally I don't see what's so great about Holmes. Lupin was way more interesting."

"Blasphemy." Kuroba would be a Lupin fan, wouldn't he? Saguru frowned up at Kuroba. "Holmes has a complex and compelling canon and has shaped the whole of detective fiction."

"If by 'complex' you mean contradictory, maybe."

"Watson as an unreliable narrator is established in text through Holmes' observations. I can think of an article talking about just that issue if you—" Kuroba covered Saguru's mouth.

"Please don't. You sound like Shinichi and I have had this argument way too many times."

Saguru licked his hand, feeling a bit petty. Kuroba jumped and stared at him half a second before laughing his head off.

"You did not just do that."

"I'll take my book back, thank you." Saguru's face still felt a bit red as he carefully tucked the rose back into the book and set it on the bedside table. The bed on the other side of the room was unoccupied; Baaya must be out.

"She left about an hour ago," Kuroba said. "You know, I don't think she likes me much."

"Baaya takes time to warm up to people." And even then she wasn't someone who frequently showed warmth or affection. To be fair, she only knew Kuroba as the person chasing Saguru so it wasn't any surprise that she had been less than pleased to meet him.

"I guess we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other then…"

Time. The familiar anxiety for lack of time stirred in the back of his mind. "Kuroba, I feel the need to inform you that time might be in short supply."

Kuroba leaned back on his elbows. "Is there a deadline I didn't know about? The date of the comet, or some plan you found out about?"

"No." Saguru fidgeted with the corner of the sheets. "Not exactly. It's just that I personally have a deadline for finding Pandora. I have only a little more than half a year left to find it before my mother turns me over to the police."

"Excuse me?"

"It was a deal we worked out. When I learned the details of Father's death, I wanted to find Pandora and finish what he started. Mother disagreed. I ran away, and she knew I was breaking the law. So I have to find the gem before I'm legally an adult. Truthfully, I doubt I'd be tried as a minor even if I was caught before age of majority; I've racked up too high of a crimes and misdemeanors count for that. It was her condition though, and I don't doubt that she would release all the information she has if she thought getting me caught would protect me."

"Are you kidding? At this point it would do the opposite. Then they'd know your face."

Saguru winced. "Thank you for that lovely thought."

Kuroba shook his head. "And I thought I had a weird relationship with my parents."

"Baaya is quite likely telling her about your existence at this very moment."

"…do you have anyone you can trust at your back?"

Since that question was mostly rhetorical, Saguru forced himself to sit up in the effort toward getting ready for the day. It was too cold for this. He was pulled back to bed when Kuroba's arms wrapped around him.

"Well I guess you can have me watch your back. If that's okay." Saguru couldn't see Kuroba's face since he was hugging him from behind, but the glimpse he caught of his ear showed it was red.

"Thank you, Kuroba." Whether or not it was possible, it was a nice thought at least.

Kuroba pressed his face between Saguru's shoulders. He'd done that last night too when they were falling asleep… "Right. So, breakfast and plans?"

"Breakfast and plans," Saguru agreed.

"We'll find it," Kuroba said before he let Saguru go. "Before the time is up, we'll find it."

There was no way that Kuroba could promise that and keep it, but for the first time in a while, Saguru felt hope that it could be done.

o*O*o

AN: Aaaand, that's the story. There's an extra porny chapter that I will not be posting here that goes to this fic. If you are interested in it, please check on either my Tumblr (lisatelramor) or AO3 (Lisa_Telramor) account. :)

I feel like everyone in this fic ended up with far more complicated familial relationships than intended. :/ And every time I write Hakuba's mother she is a different person...

A little side note on Kaito's sexuality freak out: Kaito seems to fill his life with roles to the point where it can be hard to tell who 'Kuroba Kaito' is (like in canon even 'Kuroba Kaito' is a role at times, like when he's at school and trying to act like life is the same as ever) so I felt like even he could get confused what was the role and what was himself at times. And in this case he hadn't realized it was more than a role until he suddenly did. If you think that kissing someone and enjoying it for months before freaking out over getting turned on is unrealistic and wouldn't lead to an 'OH SHIT' sexuality moment, I have to share that I spent 2 years going back and forth going 'do I like girls?', decided yes, had a crush on a female friend for half a year, had introduced myself to a roommate as bi, and still had an "OH SHIT" moment in the middle of a science lab because the back of my mind informed me that I'd had a crush on someone years ago and hadn't realized it. And somehow that was a tipping point of sexuality crisis where none of the other things were. Kaito's handling things pretty well in comparison


End file.
